Without You
by Tacti
Summary: It has been 10 years since the Mareimaia incident, and all of the gundam pilots are either married or engaged, making Relena feel very lonely. She sends them all letters, and she gets a response from everyone but Heero. Relena begins to lose hope...
1. First Word

Chapter One: First Word 

It has been ten years since the Mareimaia incident, and all of the gundam pilots are either married or engaged, making Relena feel very lonely. She sends them all letters, and she gets a response from everyone but Heero. Relena begins to lose hope as each day passes by, and begins to suffer more and more. Will Heero come to mend her broken heart, or will he leave her to pick up the broken pieces alone?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Relena Darlian (a.k.a. Relena Peacecraft) walked along the empty streets of the Cinq Kingdom. The clouds above were black and gray, and sent sheets of rain down upon unwary people below. There were few people out on this day, however, for it seemed like a storm was brewing up. And still, the Vice Foreign Minister paid the rain no heed, and kept walking. Her honey blond hair was in a short braid, and her sapphire blue eyes seemed to be focused on something that was not there. 

She wore a blue flowered skirt and a white blouse. Relena had attended several meetings in a row the past few weeks, and she was glad that she could finally be alone. Alone…yes, that is what she was…alone. It had been ten years since she had seen any of the gundam pilots, let alone Heero. 

Duo sent her cheerful letters which were often a breath of fresh air from her responsibilities. He would tell her how he found a new girl, since Hilde dumped him, and they were quite happy, and were engaged. Occasionally, the braided gundam pilot would even drop by for a visit. Quatre sent Relena letters telling her of how busy he was, and yet, still had time to find somebody. He told Relena how he bumped into Trowa's sister, Catherine a few months, and they started talking. He also mentioned in his most recent letter, that he and Catherine had gotten married after a few shy months of dating. 

Trowa and Catherine were still with the circus business, and Catherine told Relena in one of her secret letters that she saw Trowa kissing his fiancee, Hilde. Sally would also send letters to Relena, often telling her friend that life as a Preventer was always exciting. She and Wufei were married a few years after the Mareimaia incident, and were planning to start a family. 

Which brings us back to the present. Relena hadn't realized that when she was working, she barely had time to think about Heero. Now that she wasn't at a meeting on a faraway colony, she felt the void in her heart for the first time. She sent all of the gundam pilots letters back telling them bits and pieces of her busy life. All of them replied…all of them except for Heero, that is. 

And so, Relena stood in the rain, not really noticing the cold. She would have thrown herself into the sea right then to escape her empty heart and busy schedule, but she knew that many people depended upon her. She was, after all, a very important person. 

Silently, she walked along, not really knowing where she was going, or why. She ended up on the beach. The same beach that she had first seen Heero on. Still not knowing what she was doing, Relena sat down on the sand, and cried. A figure dressed in a dark blue coat and black dress pants approached her.

"Miss Darlian?" He asked. Relena looked up to see her chauffeur Red. He was a chipper young man, often complimenting young ladies as he drove by. Most of them adored him. And Red liked the attention that he got from the girls. His hair was orange-red (hence his name), and his eyes were a remarkable blue-green color. He held out his umbrella to Relena, but she just sat there, staring at him. Finally, the cold reached her, and she began rubbing her arms, aware for the first time of where she was. 

"I'm sorry that you had to come all this way to get me, Red." Relena apologized. 

"Nah, it's okay, Miss Dorlain. Must be pretty stressful bein' who you are and all…now howzabout we go home now?" He asked, a cheerful grin on his face. Relena hardly noticed it. 

"Yes, I'd like that. Thank you, Red." The young man hurried to her limo, which he had been following her in, and opened the door for her, taking her umbrella. She was silent. _Miss Darlian has gotten to be so…distant lately. An' she keeps on goin' to that beach. Sometimes, it seems like she didn't even know she was there. I'm startin' to worry about her…_Red thought worriedly as he drove. 

__

Relena stared out at the window, watching the rain hit the street. _This is my life, Heero. This is my life…and I am living it without you. _Relena thought sadly. The ride back to her mansion was silent, and uneventful. Red dropped the young woman off at her door so she wouldn't have to get wet. Relena opened the door, and was instantly met by her nephew, Liam. The boy was still young, and didn't know how to walk, but he loved his Aunt Relena very much, and used the furniture around him to latch himself to Relena's leg. Absently, she picked the purple haired boy up. Eyes the same color as her own stared happily back at her. 

"Relena, where have you been?" Lucretzia asked, taking her son from her sister-in-law. 

"Oh, hello, Lucretzia. When did you and Milliardo get back from your trip?" Relena asked, forcing a smile. 

"A few hours ago. We were waiting for you. Where were you?" 

"Oh, I was just outside."

"Outside? But it's pouring!" The older woman cried.

"Red came and picked me up. I'm alright, really." Relena assured her. 

"Relena!" A deep, male voice called. Before Relena could turn around, she was swept up off the floor, and into her brother's strong arms.

"Hello, Milliardo. I trust you had fun?" For a moment, there was a wicked gleam in her eyes. All too soon, it vanished. Her brother blushed.

"Well, err…yes!" Her brother and sister-in-law had been on a trip to Europe, and had left Liam in her care. Relena suddenly felt guilty about leaving Liam alone, even if he _was_ sleeping. 

"You know, it's getting awfully close to your birthday, Relena." Lucretzia said, looking at the calendar and supporting Liam on her hip. 

"Yes, it is! You should plan a party!" Zechs commented, while making his son giggle by tickling him. 

"Yes, I should." Relena commented.

"And you should invite the gundam pilots, as well. Speaking of the gundam pilots, how are they these days?" Relena looked at her sister-in-law. _Oh, why does everything have to remind me of Heero?_ She thought sadly. 

"Wufei and Sally are planning to start a family, and Duo told me that he is engaged now. Quatre and Catherine got married a few months ago, and he was so busy with the wedding and all, he forgot to send me a letter before. I got it yesterday. Trowa is still engaged to Hilde and Heero…" Relena trailed off. _No, I do not have the strength to stay calm while telling them…_She took a deep breath and continued, "…and I haven't heard from Heero for a long time. That reminds me; I need to send them all letters today. I meant to yesterday, but I got rather busy. I'll tell them of the party. It's nice to have you two home again." Relena smiled, and took her nephew from his mother's arms.

"You should both get some rest. I'm sure you're both tired." The couple nodded gratefully, and headed off to their room. 

Relena hadn't written Heero since last week, and he needed to know what was going on with the other gundam pilots. They had busy lives, and probably forgot to send him a letter, or some of them may have not even bothered. So, Relena sat down at her desk, and set to writing to her friends. Liam was set on the floor to play with the toys he had brought to her room. 

Relena congratulated all of the former gundam pilots, and told them how happy their lives must be. She told them of how her nephew was learning to walk, and would probably speak his first word soon, too. He was a quiet little boy, who seldom cried. Most of the time, he was laughing. Finally, Relena set to writing Heero's letter. She had become accustomed to reading her letter aloud, as if she were talking directly to the chocolate haired pilot. 

__

'Dear Heero,

I want you to know what's been going on with the other gundam pilots. They're all engaged or married, now. You must still remember that Wufei and Sally are married. Guess what, Heero? They're planning a family! Trowa and Hilde have gotten engaged, and I just received a letter today informing me of Quatre and Catherine's wedding! After Hilde dumped Duo, I thought that he wouldn't find someone else, but he did! He proposed to her a few months after they dated. So like our Duo! And my brother and sister-in-law have returned from their trip to Europe. 

Liam, my nephew, is quickly learning how to walk, but…'

Relena was about to say 'but he still hasn't said his first word yet', when the boy, as if on cue, said his first word. 

"HEERO!" The little boy screamed, and laughed happily. Relena could only stare at her nephew.

"HEERO!" The laughing boy repeated. Relena slumped in her chair. Of all the words, and names, and places Liam could've said, it _had_ to be Heero's name. _It's my fault really. I shouldn't have read my letters to Heero aloud. _Lucretzia came to Relena's room immediately. 

"What's wrong?" Lucretzia asked sleepily picking her son up.

"Oh, it's nothing. He's just laughing." Relena said. 

"HEERO!" The little boy screamed again. Relena moaned. 

"Well, I _was_ going to tell you, but you've heard for yourselves. Our little Liam has spoken-yelled, rather-his first word." Relena said, her head in her hands. Zechs could only stare at his son, and then his wife. 

"I'm sorry. He must have heard me reading one of my letters." The Vice Foreign Minister apologized.

"It's alright, Relena. You didn't do it intentionally. Besides, be glad Duo wasn't the one that helped him say his first word." Relena couldn't resist giggling at the thought of little Liam running around the mansion yelling, "FOOD!" or even "SHIGINAMI!" 

"You still send him letters, don't you?" Zechs asked, appearing in his sister's doorway.

"Zechs, please. You'll only make her feel worse!" His wife insisted. But he would not listen to her.

"Relena, answer me!" He almost shouted. Heero was not a topic that Zechs enjoyed listening to. And Heero himself was not a person that he favored being around, either. 

"Yes, I do. Are you happy now, brother? Do you know how long I've tried to forget about him? Do you know how hard it is for me, when I think that I've forgotten, but then something reminds me of him? Do you know how much he meant to me? DO YOU?" She began to cry. Tears streamed down her face as she looked back at the blond man standing in her doorway.

"I love him, Milliardo. I LOVE him." She whispered. Zechs didn't say anything. He didn't need to; he had heard enough. He silently walked back to his room, and got into bed, waiting for his wife and son to follow. 

"Relena, I'm sorry…" Lucretzia began. The tearful young woman before her shook her head.

"Leave!" She cried. Her sister-in-law obeyed, and left Relena alone, to cry. Crossing out the 'but', the blonde young woman continued with her letter.

__

'And his first word was your name. Perhaps, if I had not read my letters aloud, he would've said something more proper for a little boy. Like "Dada!" Or "Mama!" 

I know that I am wasting my time (and my life) writing to you, when you will probably never reply, but I don't care. My 26th birthday party is coming up, and even though you probably won't show up, I am inviting you to it anyway.

Yours truly,

Relena'

And so, she signed her letter, and sealed it in an envelope and set it with the other letters that she would send the following morning. Upon finishing her letter, Relena undressed, and put on a nightgown before getting into bed. Sleep was destined to bring memories that would only break her heart further. And so, Relena closed her eyes, and prepared herself for what would come. 

~~~~~

AN: What did ya think? Good? Bad? Horrible? REALLY GOOD? --(doubtful) REVIEW PLZ!

-MR 


	2. The Celebration

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Chapter 2: The Celebration

The next morning, Relena sent out the letters, and joined her family at the table. She guessed that all would go well, if Liam didn't scream Heero's name again (Which Relena sincerely hoped he didn't). She was on a break until Wednesday, which was good. It left her time to be with her family, and time to get the amount of sleep that a woman her age needed. 

Not that she was _old_, or anything…it was just that, during normal workdays, the Vice Foreign Minister was often deprived of sleep. Endless meetings summoned her, and she was rather tired of being in a room full of people twice her age, and all of them arguing. Relena was glad that she got a break. The last thing she wanted was to be in a meeting on her birthday. 

At the table, Relena found that Lucretzia was already awake, and was making breakfast. The scent of bacon, eggs, toast, sausage, and jam wafted up to the young woman's nose. She sat down, and helped herself to some of everything. Zechs was already seated at the table, watching news on TV. Nothing out of the ordinary: it was your typical fantasy family gathering. 

Liam was eating Cheerios, and happily splashing them everywhere. Relena smiled, and cleaned up after her messy nephew. He babbled on, making giggling and gurgling sounds, much to his aunt's amusement. And, for a while, everything was calm and peaceful. Until…

"HEERO!" The boy screamed suddenly. Everyone that occupied the room turned to stare at the giggling blond boy. Relena didn't hesitate to bury her face in her hands.

"Relena, what are we supposed to do when you're out at meetings and Liam constantly yells out, 'Heero'?" Zechs questioned his sister. She sighed.

"I really don't know. If you keep repeating another word, he'll probably start to say that instead." 

"But of all the names he had to choose from, my son _had_ to pick that-OW!" Lucretzia, in a white apron, had hit her husband on the head with a large metal spoon.

"I know what you were going to call him, and I will not have that kind of language around our son, or he'll take after his Dada, and say things much worse than 'Heero'. Now eat your food!" 

"Sorry, dear." Milliardo said sheepishly. His wife sat down to eat her own breakfast, winking in Relena's direction as the former gundam pilot obediently ate the food placed before him, without another peep. 

"So Relena, what are your plans for today?" Lucretzia asked. Relena seemed t0 have been daydreaming about something, no doubt something that had to do with Heero, and it took some time for the comment to actually sink in. 

"Well, I was going to by some things for my party…" Relena began.

"Oh no you don't. That's _our_ job." Zechs said, daring to speak. He flashed his sister a smile. 

"He's right, you know. We'll do all the preparations…you can go out and have fun." Lucretzia said gently to her sister-in-law.

"Just not too much fun." The platinum blond-haired man to across the table from Relena said.

"I'm grateful to both of you. And don't worry brother, I'll stay out of trouble." Relena added, kissing her brother and sister-in-law on the cheek and waving to Liam before she departed. 

Her outfit was casual: jeans, a white shirt with blue stripes, and white shoes. For once, Relena felt semi-normal, walking around the streets. Occasionally, people would recognize her, and say hello to her, and she would just smile back at them. 

The people that passed by were what interested Relena the most. Teenage girls would walk by with their friends, and couples would walk through the mall hand-in-hand. Relena tried not to notice the couples. But try as she might, she could not help wishing that it was so between herself and Heero. 

__

This is not the time to think of such things! Relena scolded herself. Without realizing it, Relena had rearranged her honey blonde hair into a bun. The ponytail did not suit her. She knew that if she left it like that, she was bound to start chewing on a strand, lost in thought. 

As she looked around the vast mall, she had no idea where to go, nor what she wanted to buy. Fortunately, she didn't have to make that decision, for someone came up to her and covered her eyes. 

"Guess who?" A familiar voice cried out merrily. Relena couldn't help laughing. 

"Duo Maxwell, remove your hands from my eyes this instant!" Relena cried between fits of giggles.

"Yes your Majesty." The braided man said, grinning. 

He had certainly gotten taller. Why, Relena had to look up at him, now. Shaking her head, the Vice Foreign Minister realized that his inner child would never die, no matter how old he got. Beside Duo, stood a young woman of about twenty or so with dirty blond hair that was cropped short. Her eyes were gray-blue and she wore jeans, a blue T-shirt with a dragon on it, and a dragon pendant hung from her neck.

"'Lena, this is-" Duo began. Relena smiled and promptly answered,

"Sarah?" She giggled at the former gundam pilot's confused look. 

"Yeah, how'd you know?" The girl asked. 

"Duo has been sending me letters. He's told me all about you." Relena said smiling. She extended her hand toward the shorter girl. 

"I'm Relena Dorlain. Pleased to meet you," She said politely. 

"Sarah Schnider. You probably already knew my last name." She grinned. Relena grinned too.

"Yes, I did."

"What are you doing here, 'Lena?" Duo asked, using his nickname for her. 

"I really don't know. Milliardo and Lucretzia told me to 'have fun' while they arranged my birthday party, but I don't know where to start." Relena admitted.

"Well, sit down, and have a chat with us, then." Duo said, merrily gesturing towards a cushioned bench. He practically _bounced_ over to it, with Sarah and Relena following behind him. 

"So, what's been going on lately?" Duo questioned. Relena sighed, toying with a stray strand of honey blonde hair. 

"My nephew spoke his first word for one," She answered, smiling wryly. 

"Really? How's the little tike been? The last time I saw him, he was just a baby!" Duo exclaimed.

"Oh, _he's_ been just fine." 

"What was his first word?" Sarah asked innocently. Relena took a breath. _You can do this…don't cry…_

"His first word was 'Heero'." Duo just stared. He knew better than to ask how. He could see in Relena's sapphire eyes, that she was hurting. 

"Oh. Well, what's been going on with the others?" Relena was grateful for the quick subject change.

"Well, Quatre sent me a letter yesterday, informing me of his wedding with Catherine."

"I knew Quatre was gonna get that girl." Duo said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Wufei and Sally are planning a family, and Trowa and Hilde are engaged." Relena added.

"Wu-man, starting a family?! I'd love to see what his children would be like!" Duo said, laughing hysterically. "And Trowa told me he was gonna propose to her sooner or later. I'm glad that Hilde found someone else." 

"And I'm sure she's glad that you found Sarah." Relena said, smiling. It was the first real smile of the day. Sarah grinned back.

"Yup, he's all mine!" Sarah said, latching onto Duo's arm. 

"Thanks, Lena. Well, Sarah and I have shopping to do. Tell Zechs and Noin I said hi!" Duo called, as he and Sarah walked away, their fingers intertwined. 

"I will!" Relena called back. 

"Oh no," She murmured to herself, "I forgot to invite them to my party." Relena silently got up, and walked toward any random store. 

Looking at the ground, Relena walked forward, unconsciously walked into someone. 

"Sorry." Relena said, looking up. She gasped in horror. There, before stood the one man that caused her heart to hurt so much.

"H-Heero, w-what are you doing here?" Relena stammered. Heero looked down at her, his cold stare focused upon her. 

"I'm buying furniture for my apartment." Heero said in his monotone voice.

"Did any of my letters…" Relena began, but Heero had walked away from her, and into the store, leaving the Vice Foreign Minister to stand all by herself. 

__

Why must he walk away from me? Relena thought. She slowly walked back to the mansion, and along the way, she found Red flirting with a girl with bright blue hair. She was giggling about something Red said when Relena approached. Red jumped up suddenly when he saw Relena. 

"Miss Dorlain! Would you like to go back to the mansion?" He questioned.

"No, I'll be fine walking by myself. Thank you though, Red." Relena said quietly. As she continued along, a slight breeze playfully blew her hair, making it fall out of its bun. Relena braided her hair in frustration. Heero had not even stayed to listen to her. The breeze from before suddenly became a bit stronger, and chillier. 

Lost in her thoughts, Relena found herself out at the beach again. Sighing in anger and frustration, Relena got up and left. Heero had not stayed and listened to her. He simply left her alone. _That doesn't surprise me one bit. I suppose he's been doing that all along. _She thought to herself. Walking back home, when she opened the door with her key, Zechs and Lucretzia were rushing about, trying to hide the things they had gotten. Not that Relena paid any attention to that. 

"Relena! You look very pale! Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine. I saw Duo at the mall today. He was with his fiancee."

"Oh really? What was she like?" Lucretzia wanted to know. 

"She seems to love Duo a lot. I'm happy for them. They make a good couple. Where's Liam?"

"He's asleep." Zechs said, coming into the room. 

"Who is going to send the invitations?" Relena asked her brother and sister-in-law.

"If you want to, you can." Lucretzia answered. Before Zechs could say anything about not inviting Heero, Relena had already went up to her room to start the invitations. Relena had them finished, and sealed with her own special seal, a dove, which stood for peace.

On the afternoon of Relena's birthday, she decided to hang out at the mall again, and see if she could find someone to talk to. She found Duo, Sarah, and Quatre and Catherine talking. 

"Relena!" Quatre called out. Relena smiled as he ran towards her, and hugged her. 

"It's wonderful to see you and Cat again." Relena said,

"How have you been Relena?" Cat asked, her eyes twinkling. 

"I've been fine." Relena said, trying to ban the incident that occurred the other day out of her mind. 

"Well, come on, we're all going shopping, and you _have_ to see this store!" Duo exclaimed. Relena smiled. _I guess they forgot that it was my birthday. Oh well_. She shrugged and decided to follow her braided friend and Hilde instead. 

"Duo! Sarah! Relena! Wait!" Quatre grabbed his wife's hand, and chased after them. 

Relena followed Duo and Hilde into the store that she supposedly "had to see" and gasped. All around her were shimmering crystal figurines, snowglobes, and porcelain figurines. Relena glanced around, and saw something that sparked her curiosity. She walked over, and picked up a snow globe that had an angel holding a heart in one hand, and a gun in the other. 

"Heero…" Relena murmured softly. Tears welled up in her sapphire blue eyes. 

"Relena, are you okay?" Quatre asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Relena nodded weakly, brushing away her tears. "I'm fine, really Quatre." 

"Hey, Lena, why don't we all drop by for a visit?" Duo asked cheerfully. 

"That would be wonderful." She replied. Quatre had his limo pick them up, and took them to Relena's mansion. The ride made Relena forget all about Heero and her past sadness. People who cared about her-her friends-surrounded her. And that was all that really mattered.

Quatre had his chauffeur stop the limo at the Peacecraft Mansion, as it was called. Though Relena did not think of herself as a Peacecraft any longer, she still was one. And the mansion had been her family's home for as far back as she could remember. 

"Man, it feels good to be back here again." Duo commented. The others all nodded their heads. Relena used her key to unlock the door, and walked in. The lights were off, and there didn't seem to be anyone around. _That's odd,_ Relena thought. Suddenly, the lights blazed on, and all the servants, Zechs, his wife and son all yelled, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RELENA!" 

Relena smiled, tears forming in her eyes. 

"Thank you everyone. You've no idea how happy you have all made me today." She said. Everyone gave her a hug, and Relena returned to her normal state, hoping that Heero would attend her party. Relena went upstairs to her room to change into a dress more suited for her birthday party. She wanted to look good, and besides, the Peacecraft Mansion had an enormous ballroom, so her guests would be dancing with each other. 

The former queen selected a sapphire blue dress that matched her eyes perfectly. When Relena descended down the stairs, all eyes were upon her. Not only was she beautiful, but she was the birthday celebrant after all.

"Relena, there you are! It's time for you to receive your gifts." Lucretzia whispered. 

"Gifts?" Relena questioned, confused. She hadn't received a gift in a long time.

"The gundam pilots all gave you a gift. I know that you normally only get gifts on Christmas, but the gundam pilots decided to get you a little something." The purple haired woman said, cradling her son in her arms. Relena followed her sister-in-law towards the crowd of smiling faces. News reporters were there to record her celebration. 

"Miss Dorlain! Do you have a birthday speech?" One of the reporters asked.

"No. The only thing I have to say is thank you. To all of you. You've done your very best to make me happy. I am very happy that you did this for me, and I must give all the glory to the former gundam pilots. I couldn't have been blessed with better friends." Relena said, smiling. Suddenly, as if by habit, Relena looked up at the staircase. But Heero wasn't standing there. 

Relena answered many questions that reporters asked her, and _finally _got time to talk to her friends, so that they could give her their gifts. Duo got Relena a sky blue book that had _The Other Relena_ written in silver on the cover. 

"It's a diary." Duo explained.

"Thank you, Duo. I'll fill it up with wonderful things, just for you." She said, hugging her friend. Quatre's gift was a piece of paper. 

"I bought you a country. Unfortuneately, you're going to have to rule it." Quatre apologized.

"QUATRE!" Relena exclaimed. The blond haired Winner laughed heartily. 

"Just kidding. But I did book you a night in a hotel by the lake. Since tomorrow is the end of your break." Quatre said, smiling. 

"Thank you Quatre!" Relena said, hugging him too. Trowa's gift was actually from both him and Catherine. It was a rather nice coat made of silk. Relena smiled at the silent soldier. 

"Thank you Trowa and Catherine!" Relena said, hugging them both. Trowa smiled, and Catherine told Relena how glad she was that Relena liked it. Then Wufei and Sally's came. When Relena opened it, she smiled. It was a beautiful pair of diamond earrings. 

"Thank you. I'll treasure them always." Relena said, hugging both of them. She was about to get up when Zechs brought another package in. It was a tall package about up to her knee. 

"_YOU_ are not going anywhere. There are still gifts to be opened." He said, smiling. The honey blond tore through the silver wrapping paper, and gasped. It was the figurine from the mall. 

"T-thank you, b-brother." Relena stammered. She began to cry. 

"You don't like it?" Zechs asked, frowning. 

"Oh, it's not that! It's just that it's s-so beautiful…" She embraced her brother, and her sister-in-law. Looking at the angel figurine, Relena felt like she was being torn up inside. _I still love you, Heero. Why must you run away from me? Do you know how much pain you've caused me? You have no idea how tormented my soul has been since you left me…_Relena's tears were out of sadness. But because of her smile, nobody knew how broken Relena's heart really was.

"I love all of you very much." Relena whispered, trying to shove the hurt deeper. It could not surface, no matter what. They _couldn't_ see the hurt in her eyes; she wouldn't let it show. She didn't want her friends to worry about her. Besides, it was her _birthday_. She needed time to think about things…alone. _Alone? I've always been alone. _The former queen thought bitterly. Still smiling, she hugged all of her friends. She quietly noted at the end of the night, that Heero had never come.


	3. Reflections

Chapter 3: Reflections 

Thanks Sarah (you went a bit overboard on the reviewing, and you didn't even review TOMH!! I think I'll take you out of the story….hehe, j/k), K-chan (You rock! I'm gonna read something of yours!!), Destiny Star (yes, yes, be patient, and it _might_ come). Thanx to the rest of you who reviewed too! You guys are my motivation for each chappy! It's very new to me to make such a depressing story, so bear with me. If you liked this story, and like fantasy and romance, I think you'd like Thief of my Heart, it's not _nearly_ as depressing, and I'm quite proud of it. Enough of my babbling, **GO READ!**

~~~~~~~~

__

Dear Diary,

This is my first entry in the book that Duo gave me, and I like it very much. However, I am not the type that has time to write in a diary, so I am relatively new to this. A teardrop from Relena's sapphire eyes fell upon the page. 

__

Oh, now look what I did! I guess that Heero will always be in my heart. They say that true love never forgets, and no matter how hard I try, I can't get him out of my head. I don't know how he does it. He just lets me float away from his mind. As I look back on my life so far, I realize that every time I told Heero I loved him, he would always walk away. My birthday party was held last night, and he didn't show up. Heero was never there when I wanted him to be. Heero, I dedicate this entry to you. It is my first entry without you. 

Relena put down the pen, and went to sleep. When her friends left, Relena told Quatre that she would save his gift of a free night in a hotel for when she really needed it. She hugged all of her friends, and watched each of them depart her mansion. Her night was miserable. Relena was plagued with nightmares of Heero that didn't spare a single detail. But there was one dream in particular that troubled the Vice Foreign Minister when she rose early for her last day of freedom. She had been standing in the middle of nowhere, and it was snowing. The snow was blood red. Heero came out of nowhere, blood pouring from his wounds. Then, he came towards her with a gigantic sword. 

Relena also remembered that in her dream, she screamed out, "I STILL LOVE YOU!" And Heero dropped the weapon. It either ended there, or Relena blocked the rest of her mind. It was crazy, living like this. She was still in love with Heero, and she knew it. But…how long can that love last if the one you love has shown all signs of not loving you back? If they don't love you back, then what? Relena shook these thoughts out of her mind. 

Walking slowly, Relena decided to go and take a stroll. She knew it would be better for her sanity if she thought about everything that was tugging at her heart while she was still on her break. Of course, her sanity was already a bit damaged from Heero not being at her birthday party. Sighing, Relena began to walk wherever her feet took her. _Please don't take me to the beach…_ Relena said. 

She didn't end up at the beach. No, instead, she ended up at the old apartment building that Heero had lived in while after Mareimaia was defeated. The rest of the gundam pilots had volunteered to help the Preventers if they ever needed extra hands. Heero merely said that he'd be there when he was needed. _You'll be here when you're needed? I need you _now, _Heero! And you aren't here…_Relena could feel a bit more of her sanity slipping away. 

__

You told me to believe in you. I do, but what am I supposed to believe if you keep running from me? Relena thought. When she looked at the sun, she saw it was already sunset. _Oh my, it seems that I have spent nearly the entire day out here. I better go back_. She shivered a bit. It had become habit for her to go out in the freezing cold mornings. It helped her think. She quietly went into the house, pretending that she had been in her room when Lucretzia called her down to dinner. 

"So, how was your day?" Zechs questioned. Relena forced a smile.

"I pretty much slept and read the whole day." She fibbed. The honey blonde knew that she was tired, and that she would be plagued with dreams of Heero later on, so didn't want to take a nap. 

"Is that-" Milliardo began, but his son began to throw beans everywhere. 

"Now Liam, don't interrupt your Daddy." Lucretzia said, sternly.

"DADDY!" The purple haired boy screamed. Relena smiled. 

"Well, that's a pleasant change."

"HEERO!" 

"Now _that_ is not." Relena moaned. She excused herself from the table to retreat to her room. It was her sanctuary, it was a place where she could think in peace. She wasn't a Peacecraft or a Dorlain in her room. She was simply Relena. 

__

If there was nothing that I could say

Turned your back and you just walked away

Leaves me numb inside, I think of you

Together is all I knew.

But now was different. Now, there was no Heero in Relena's life. She was left alone, to live on, as she probably normally have done if she had never met Heero. _We were always together. I never knew anything more. Now, all I have of you are fading memories, and a broken heart_. Relena thought to herself.

Every time she told him that she loved him, he would walk away, and not say anything. He would simply give her that cold, empty stare, and leave. But Relena was beginning to think that this time, Heero had left her forever. _If you didn't love me, couldn't you have at least said something? _Relena couldn't help but wonder. _You could've spared me many years of pain when you didn't come back. You could've saved me the trouble of worrying about you, and crying over you._ Relena plopped down on her bed.

__

And as the sun would set, you would rise

Fall from the sky into paradise

Is there no light in your heart for me?

You've closed your eyes; you no longer see. 

Relena closed her eyes, and saw Heero's face when he smiled for the first time. Oh, what a beautiful moment it had been for her. She had been so shocked, that she could only stare at him for a couple of seconds. Of course, the smile vanished soon, but it was a truly happy smile nonetheless. _If he's been gone this long, I doubt that he's ever coming back. If he loved me, perhaps he would've shown signs of actually caring through the cold, uncaring outside. I know that Heero does have a heart on the inside. If he would only let his feelings show, then perhaps, he wouldn't have gone. _Relena sighed, and curled up on her bed. She sobbed herself to sleep.

The next morning, Relena woke up bright and early. It was her first day back at work, and man, did it feel good to be 23! Relena's eyes were red and swollen from the previous night's crying, so she did her best to cover it up with the makeup that she had. From the time she woke up until when the stars were just coming out, Relena was going from one meeting to the other. There were rumors of war between the colonies, and Relena silenced them. 

There were rumors that the gundam pilots would come back with bigger, better gundams, and destroy Earth. Relena also made these rumors evaporate. Running from meeting to meeting, Relena became tired. When she returned home, Liam was already asleep. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep on the couch. 

~*~

"Relena."

"H-Heero?" Relena asked, disbelieving. Heero smiled.

"Yes, I am here." He opened his arms to receive her slim figure.

"Oh Heero, I missed you so much!" 

"As I will miss you." Heero said.

"What?" She asked confused. Heero put a hand over her mouth. 

"I love you." Heero said, silencing her muffled cries with a slice to her throat. Her limp, lifeless body slumped in Heero's arms. 

"Goodbye Relena." He said, a wicked smile upon his face.

~*~

When Relena awoke, she was sweating. _It was only a dream…only a dream…_She told herself over and over. She felt like a child, waking up cold, and alone after a nightmare. Her heart pounded quickly, beads of sweat dripped down her face. Her hands trembled when she tried to pull the sheets closer to her body. Suddenly, it seemed like the whole room became freezing cold, causing goosebumps to appear on Relena's arms. It was a long time before she drifted off to sleep. 

"Relena, wake up. It's seven ten!" Lucretzia said, shaking her sister-in-law awake the next morning. Relena opened her eyes. 

"What? Oh my goodness! I've overslept!" Relena cried. Lucretzia watched in amusement as her sister-in-law scrambled about the room, and closed the door behind her. 

"What's all that banging upstairs?" Zechs wondered, taking a sip of his coffee. 

"Relena overslept, but she'll only be six minutes late if she hurries." His wife answered, kissing him and Liam on the cheek. 

"DADDY!" He giggled, reaching toward Zechs.

"If you'll excuse us, we've got a 'flight' to catch." The blonde haired man said, picking up his son. 

"Here comes the airplane, Liam!" Zechs said, lifting his son above his head. 

"Wheee!" The purple haired boy cried happily as his father made airplane sounds. He clapped his hands when he was plopped on the sofa. 

"See you when I get back!" Relena called, running out the door. 

"Relena! You didn't have breakfast yet!" Her sister-in-law called out the window.

"I'll get some later!" Relena yelled from her limo. This was going to a _very_ interesting morning, Lucretzia thought, looking over at her husband, who was chasing a rapidly crawling Liam. 

****

^*^

Relena was grateful to find that most people didn't have breakfast yet, so breakfast was served at the meeting. She wasn't scolded for being late, for it _was_ her first time arriving late. 

"Miss Dorlian, glad you could make it." An elderly man with green eyes said.

"I'm so sorry for being late, Senator Macklin. It seems that I overslept." The man smiled, and held up a hand. 

"It's alright, Miss Dorlain. We're not all perfect. However, there has been talk that one of the gundam pilots is going around killing people." 

The day went on, and Relena argued her point quite effectively. If the gundam pilots wanted people dead, they wouldn't have fought against Oz. They'd be _working _for Oz. 

The subject then changed to the Mars project. The work had been completed, and there was a new colony on Mars. However, the people were unsure if things were safe, so were a bit hesitant to try to live on Mars. 

"If you go, Miss Dorlain, the perhaps the people will follow your example." One of the few woman senators had said. So, Relena agreed to be the first person on Mars. She had informed her family about it, and her brother wasn't too pleased when he found out. He claimed that she was putting herself in too much danger. 

Relena, however, saw this as a chance to sort out her thoughts and feelings without anyone bothering her. No people, no meetings, nothing but a communication device, food, and herself. Alone on the planet Mars. This was going to be quite an interesting trip. _Good thing it's only two days. That should be enough time for me to think things out._ The Vice Foreign Minister thought. 

Relena sat in the transport that she had arranged earlier. She was a bit bored, staring out at the stars, so she decided to open Duo's gift, and write. She discovered that when there was no one who understood what you were feeling writing was often the way to rid yourself of those feelings. But, instead of forgetting them, every time you opened the page and read the entry, you would remember all that happened that day. She picked up her pen and began to write.

__

Dear Diary,

I am on my way to Mars at this very moment. I am to go in hopes that people will follow after my example and make Mars their new home. The colonies have begun to get a bit too crowded, and some people really need to move. Although my mind has been preoccupied by much this past week, it has dwelt most upon Heero. Oh, I know it gets tiring seeing his name again, but I'm afraid that I have no control over what my heart believes. 

I don't even know where Heero is right now. He could be anywhere, and while I suffer, he's probably off having fun all by himself. Perhaps he's even laughing at me for being weak. Each day, I begin to think that he's coming back less and less. Soon, I fear that I will forget that I ever thought he was coming back entirely.

This book is very helpful. It serves as a place where my heart can live, when nobody else will take it in. Heero was a shelter for my heart at one point, but no longer. I haven't seen him in seven years. I highly doubt that if this much time has past, that he even remembers me.

My letters to him probably all end up in a shredded pile in the garbage. I can almost see him shredding each piece of paper; shredding them the same way he shredded my heart. Behind my smile, there lurks a person who is hurting, and alone. It seems that ever since the war ended, and Mareimaia had been brought to her senses, I've been fighting my own battle. A battle of the heart. This is my second entry without you, Heero.

Upon finishing her entry, Relena found that they had arrived. She thanked the man who took the time to get her there safely, and took her things, and entered the dome of the colony-to-be. The honey blonde watched the transport return to Earth. She found that the workers who went back and forth between the red planet and Earth every day had already prepared her room. The Vice Foreign Minister unpacked her things, and was surprised to found that there was already a bed with clean sheets and blankets. Relena crawled into bed, and promptly fell asleep the moment her head hit the soft pillow.

~~~~~~

Hello! MR here! The song, which is called _No Ordinary Morning_ is NOT mine! It belongs to Chicane, and this is not the only time this song will appear in this fic. Gundam Wing isn't mine, it belongs to its respective owners, and the only thing that I have the privilege to own in the story line. Please review! 


	4. Finally Free

****

Chapter 4: Finally Free

****

Relena was grateful for being home at last. Just as everyone predicted, after they heard her say that Mars was a wonderful place if you wanted peace and quiet, people began to flood over there. Soon, the problem of crowded colonies was solved. Enough people had moved to the new colony on Mars that there were empty houses for those who didn't have homes to move into. 

__

It's good to see that the population problem has been solved. They've even given the new colony on Mars a name already! Relena thought to herself. Y-0009 had filled in a matter of days. Houses were already built, and there was even a man-made beach, and it had been only a week since the Vice Foreign Minister had been on the red planet herself! When Relena returned, she was delighted to find letters from her friends. Wufei and Sally had had a baby girl whom they named Sakura! 

__

Dear Sally and Wufei,

That's wonderful! I'd love to see her some time! She must be so cute! When she says her first word, don't hesitate to call. I'm afraid I've been rather busy; so please forgive me if this letter didn't reach you when you thought it would. I was on the new colony Y-0009, and it was quite a peaceful atmosphere, I must say. Well, I must go. I hope to talk to both of you soon!

Love always,

Relena

She sent the letter off, and found that it was the only letter. There were many messages on her answering machine from the gundam pilots, all wanting to know what it was like on Mars, and what the colony Y-0009 was like. Relena had only the will (and heart) to call Quatre and Catherine, and have them pass on the news. Lucretzia and Milliardo noticed that Relena was extremely tired. They didn't blame her either. 

News reporters had been following her all week, wanting to get the story on her experience on Mars. Relena had given short, to-the-point answers to their questions, before she had Red drive her home. Relena was so exhausted; she really didn't feel like writing in her diary. Before Relena knew it, she fell asleep, curled up on her bed; falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Besides being achy all over the next morning, Relena was a bit grumpy from being deprived of the sleep that she wanted and needed. She dressed hurriedly, had a quick bite to eat, and left the house in the same manner. It was on that particular day that Relena decided that perhaps her family and friends were the priority in her life. Perhaps she would quit her job, just for the sake of being able to have time for her family and friends.

"Mr. Macklin, sir, I've been thinking that, I'd forfeit my position of Vice Foreign Minister." Relena told the elderly man upon her entrance. He looked at her for a couple of seconds, blankly staring.

"Relena, we need you. Moreover, the colonies need you. They still think of you as their leader. Without you, wars could break out!" 

"I'm sorry Mr. Macklin, but my family and friends barely see me. I am exhausted every morning, and I barely get enough sleep. I realize how much the colonies need me, but my family and friends need me more. I wasn't present at any of their weddings. For the past eight years, this building has consumed my whole life, and became my life. I wish to have my old life back. Mr. Macklin, I am a stranger in my _own house_." Relena's eyes held a bit of desperation. It had been so long since she sat down with her family and talked to them. 

"Very well, Miss Dorlain. However, you must speak to the leaders of the colonies with the same conviction that you had a few moments ago, in order to return to your normal life. You're a very special young woman, Relena. Your family and friends are lucky to have you in their lives." The elderly man said, smiling. Relena followed him into the room that she had been in so many times. The room was filled with mostly men, with only a few women. Relena's importance made many women want to become like her, young and old. _It would be better for everyone if there were more women leaders._ Relena thought randomly. 

"Miss Dorlain, where have you been?" A couple of the people in the room asked, a bit upset. 

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make. I have decided to forfeit my position as Vice Foreign Minister. I know that you all believe that I am important, but have you ever thought of what's important to _me_? I barely see my family and my friends. I am a stranger _in my own house_." The room became uncomfortably silent after Relena's short speech. A tiny tear trickled down Relena's cheek. She closed her eyes, awaiting the angry shouts that were bound to follow.

Then, suddenly, she heard a sound she did not expect. Applause. Every single face in the room was smiling, and applauding for _her._ She glowed with pride. This had certainly not been what she expected.

"Besides," Relena added, "more and more women-young and old-are becoming leaders."

"Thank you Miss Dorlain. All we have to say now is thank you for all the hard work you have done for so many years, and goodbye. You have gotten us to think about _our_ families, and how they must miss us. We respect your decision to forfeit your position as Vice Foreign Minister." Relena smiled gratefully. 

"Thank you." She whispered.

As Relena got into her limo, and had Red drive her home. _Well, I suppose that this will be the last time I ever ride the limo. _She couldn't help but smile as she rode along. She could not contain her excitement as she opened the door. 

"Hello, everyone!" She cried out merrily. Zechs, who was tickling his son to death (or so it looked), looked up, a bit surprised.

"Relena? Aren't you supposed to be at a meeting now? I thought that you were coming back at seven." 

"I am free!" Relena said, grinning. 

"Zechs, could you-" Lucretzia began, walking into the room. 

"Relena? What are you doing here?" She was all smiles and cheers once again. _It's good to see her smile again_ Zechs thought. 

"I did it!" Relena cried, hugging everyone. "I gave up my position as Vice Foreign Minister."

"But why?" Lucretzia wondered aloud.

"Because, it was making me a stranger in my own house. I love you and the gundam pilots more than I love my job. It feels wonderful to FINALLY BE FREE!"

~~~

Like? No like? Sorry for not updating sooner L Review, review, review! ^_^

****


	5. The Wedding Gift

****

Chapter 5: The Wedding Gift

So, Relena has given up her position for her friends and family. It seems for a while, Relena forgets about Heero. Unfortuneately, it's not that easy to forget somebody that you love. Plus, Duo Maxwell and Sarah Schnider are becoming one on this joyous occasion!

Thanx to all who reviewed! Sarah (sometimes I think it's a GOOD thing you don't have an email address), Destiny Star (hmm…good point, but I don't think so. She's a bit old for that now), and K-chan (thanx for staying with me! I'm gonna read one of _your_ fics now!). Thanx bunches for all of you who encourage me to go on with this story even when I feel that I haven't the slightest idea what happens next, and feel like giving up. ^_^

Go and read already!!

~~~~

"I'm FINALLY FREE!" Relena said, rejoicing. That night, on all channels, there was the special report that Relena had turned down her job. A few reporters went to the Peacecraft Mansion to ask Relena why she decided to give up her job. Relena calmly told them the same thing that she had told Mr. Macklin, and said that she hoped that more women would become leaders. 

"So, now that you're officially free, what are you going to do now, Miss Dorlain?" Zechs asked, pretending to hold a microphone to his sister's lips. She smiled, and paused in thought for a moment. Just then, the phone rang. 

"I'LL GET IT!" Relena said loudly, running towards it. She picked it up, giggling at her childish antics. 

"Hello?" She asked. 

"Hey, how does it feel to be free, 'Lena?" 

"It feels wonderful, Duo." Relena said, laughing at his endless supply of cheer. 

"Now that you've given up your job, think you can make it to our wedding?" He asked, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Oh Duo! Of course! When is the wedding scheduled?" 

"Well, Sarah wanted it as soon as possible, so we decided that the 2nd would be a good date." Relena went to her calendar, and noted that it was still on March. She quickly flipped it to August. _ I had no idea time passed so quickly. I was sure that it was only April…_ Relena thought absently. 

"Ok, it's on my calendar. I guarantee you that I'll be there." She said, smiling. 

"Tell Zechs and Noin that they can come too, if they want." Duo added.

"I will, don't worry, Duo." 

See ya later 'Lena!" The braided pilot said cheerfully before hanging up. 

Relena informed her brother and Lucretzia of Duo's wedding. 

"That's wonderful! We'll definitely come!" Lucretzia said, smiling broadly. 

"Well, I suppose that I'll go get them their wedding gift." Relena said. 

"We already got ours. Duo told us in advance of the wedding." Zechs said, his son on his shoulders. 

"DADDY! MOMMY! LENA!" Liam giggled. Relena smiled at her nephew, patting his head.

"Good boy, Liam." She then walked out the door. For once, Relena drove herself. It felt so odd being in her brother's van. She parked the blue van, and went into the mall.

After about fifteen minutes, Relena selected a snowglobe that had a dragon with blazing red eyes, and midnight wings. In the dragon's hand was a heart. _It is rather appropriate. From the look of her outfit when I first met her, I'd say that Sarah really likes dragons. _Relena had the gift wrapped in white wrapping paper that had silver doves on it. 

As she drove home, she thought of who had yet to be married. Trowa was the only one left besides herself. _I'll never get married. My destiny is to be alone forever_, She thought bitterly. Tears blurred her vision as she drove. She shook her head, and continued driving. _I mustn't think of him while I'm driving. _

----

Relena, Lucretzia, and Zechs all sat in the front row of Duo and Sarah's wedding. Lucretzia cried a couple of times, remembering how it was when she got married. However, the ceremony only tore Relena apart more. Her sapphire blue eyes focused not on Sarah's joyful, tear-stained face, nor Duo's broad grin. No, her eyes looked past them, at the sky. The wedding was outdoors, in a garden. It was rather beautiful with the sun beginning to set in the background as Sarah and Duo kissed. _My heart aches. Perhaps it hurts so much because I know that this is one thing I will never have. _

A tear slid down her face. _Fate was cruel to me. The happiest day of my life was when I met you, Heero. _

The day that I watched you walk away from me will never leave my mind. It was the last time I ever saw you. Look at what my life has become Heero. Tear-filled nights and sorrowful days; that is what my life has become Heero. It will never be anything until you come back into it. If God is listening to me right now, I pray that He will bring you back to me. Relena thought. She hardly noticed that the newlyweds were making their way towards her.

"Relena! It's gift-opening time!" Duo said, showing off his trademark grin. Sarah was also smiling. 

"Heck, can't we just skip the gifts, and go home? That kiss was one of the best ones you've ever given me!" Everyone laughed. 

"Nope, sorry, Sarah. Gifts first, THEN we go home." Relena smiled in spite of herself. _Those two really are a good match for each other. _She walked over to the gift table, and found her gift lying on top of a large box. 

"Ooh! Let's open THAT one!" Sarah cried. Duo laughed. You'd think that Sarah was a little girl at Christmas the way she opened the gift, and read the card. The first gift was a framed picture of Deathsythe Hell with the words _I am a HERO_ on the top. Duo was in the photo, and he was curious to know who had given it. Sarah cleared her throat to read the card. 

__

To my best friend and his wife on their day of happiness.

-Heero 

Before Sarah could finish reading, Relena began to run. She had no idea where-she just knew that she had to get away from the painful memories of the one she loved. 

"RELENA!" Everyone called, but she ran on blindly, ignoring their calls for her to stop. 

"She ran away before she got to hear the rest." Sarah commented. 

"Read it." Zechs commanded. 

__

PS-On the bottom of the angel figurine is written, Believe in me. 

~~~~

Author's Notes: Sarah, I do hope that you didn't get TOO excited when I said you got to kiss Duo. -_-() I try my best at making cliffhangers that make ya wanna read the rest of the story. Hope you like! Sorry for the long wait! Life's full of homework. Anyhow, please REVIEW! THANX!

-MR


	6. Seven years later

Chapter 6: Seven years later…

Seven years have passed, now. All of the gundam pilots are now married and have children. Relena will be celebrating her 33rd birthday in a few months. Here is a list of the children of the gundam pilots:

Trowa & Hilde: Tim (three and a half)

Wufei & Sally: Sakura (six)

Quatre & Catherine: Sahara (three)

Duo & Sarah: Fey (four)

Liam, Relena's nephew is now eight years old. He often plays with the children of the gundam pilots, and being the eldest of the group, they all seem to look up to him. But Relena is like a second mother to all of them. Relena had long since given up all hope, and had stopped sending Heero letters a year after Duo and Sarah's wedding. Although the newlyweds tried to explain to Relena, she refused to listen, so they too gave up. 

~~~~

Thanx to all of you who reviewed! Knightewolfe (Thank you for pointing that out. I've corrected it in the story), Destiny Star (I know!), Krystina (awww…I'm glad ya like it ^_^), and Callisto Nicol (*laughs insanely* I'll be sure to tell Sarah that you liked her *laughs more*), and merci beaucoup to all the rest of ya! Stop reading me stinkin' thank-yous and READ ALREADY!!

  
~§ ~

Relena sat on the couch of Quatre's mansion, watching the children play. It was an ordinary day, and they were all there just for the sake of talking. It was a Saturday, and the children were glad they didn't have to go to school. The adults, however, were rather bored. So, they decided to get together, and just talk. 

**"**Hey, your birthday's soon, isn't it?" Duo asked suddenly. Relena nodded. The others rolled their eyes.

"Duo, you're not supposed to bring that up!" Sarah whispered, lightly smacking him on the head. 

"I wasn't?" A clueless Duo blinked several times. Sarah sighed. 

"And you call yourself an adult." She said, shaking her head. 

"Anyway," She continued, "now that Duo's mentioned it, it would be kind of wrong not to tell you what we-Zechs and Noin mostly-thought up." Relena looked up, a question in her eyes. Her eyes met her brother's. 

"We've planned a big celebration. The gundam pilots will be invited, of course, and then, we've also sent out invitation to everyone." Zechs said. Relena could only stare at her brother. 

"EVERYONE?" She asked. Zechs nodded. The former Vice Foreign Minister sighed.

"I won't have to wear a dress will I? I'm no longer Vice Foreign Minster, brother." She said. Sarah heaved a sigh, leaning against Duo. Lucretzia continued for Sarah saying,

"That's one of the downsides. We are celebrating the day that you gave up your position for a greater cause. You gave up your position for all of us, Relena." Her sister-in-law put a comforting hand on top of Relena's. 

"You showed everyone what was important to you. You showed them that your family and friends matter far more to you than your job. That is why the people love you so much, Relena. Because of that strength that you always seem to have, despite the circumstances." Relena looked up at her friends, all of them wearing a smile. Liam walked over, and hugged Relena. 

"I think that Auntie Lena is a strong person, too!" He said. Though he was just a boy, he was aware of what his first word had been, and he was also aware of what that name meant to his aunt. 

"Thank you. I think that the party is a wonderful idea. I'm tired, so I'll see you at the party." Relena said, getting up off the couch. The children instantly ran to her. 

"Can you come with us, Relly?" Sahara asked softly, clinging to Relena's pants. Relena patted the girl's soft, light brown hair. 

"Sahara, I'm afraid that I can't go back to the colonies with you. I'll see you in a few months, alright? You can all come to my birthday party too." Relena said smiling. 

"Relly," Fey said, "does that mean I'll have to wear a dress too?"

"I don't like dwesses! Dwesses are for the weak!" Sakura cried. (AN: Gee, I wonder whose daughter Sakura is??) Sarah laughed, picking Fey up, and Sally did the same with Sakura. . 

"Alright, stop bothering Relena now, Fey. You won't have to wear a dress. Just the ladies will." Duo came over to kiss his daughter's cheek. 

"But you will have to wear a skirt and a nice shirt." He said. Everyone else gathered up their children and left. Relena was grateful that Quatre and Wufei had both brought their families from the colonies to visit her. 

Trowa and Hilde traveled with Trowa's circus, so Tim often had his own acts. Hilde made sure that what he did was not dangerous. Duo and Sarah lived in a nearby city only an hour and a half away from Relena and her family. Every so often, the group would get together, and bring their children to play with each other. Sahara, Sakura and Fey were the best of friends. However, because they attended the same school and were in the same class, Liam and Fey had fast become best friends as well.

Relena watched them all leave, and then decided that she would go to bed early. The diary that Duo had given her had long since been filled, so Fey saved up money to buy Relena another one. This one had an angel holding a heart on it. In red letters it said _Thoughts of my heart_. That was exactly what Relena put into that book. The children all adored Relena, Sahara and Fey especially. Relena smiled, as she wrote down the day's events in her diary. 

__

Dear Diary, 

My brother has planned my birthday party, and, from the sounds of it, it's going to be a big one! I don't really mind that I have to wear a dress; it's just that all the important people from my past will be there. All of the people from my past…Heero? No, Heero will not be there. It has been sixteen-almost seventeen-years since I had last seen him. He is not coming back into my life. And I have long since accepted that fact. But sometimes…sometimes, I can't help it. There is a gap in my heart. When I was around Heero, I always felt complete. But now, I feel as if there is something missing. 

Anyway, I should probably stop thinking about him, before I lose control. I've forgotten about him for a while, but he keeps coming back to haunt me in my dreams. I suppose that I'll never forget him, no matter how much I try. They say that true love never forgets…but how can it be true love if all Heero ever did was walk away from me?

Love, 

Relena

She closed the book, and stared at the ceiling for a while. Seven years had passed. When she was still 26, Relena had no control over what happened when she thought of Heero. Now, she barely thought of him at all. Sometimes, she would come across something that reminded her of him, and tears would come to her eyes, but that was all. 

__

Heero, I hope you know that I am doing this for you. You would have wanted me to be strong, despite the fact that my life is empty without you. I have the strength to go on without you. My friends showed me that today. Relena thought sleepily. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep, dreaming of the days when Heero was by her side. 

~§ ~

The next morning, Relena awoke to gentle rays of sunlight streaming through her window. She glanced at her clock. It read: 9:30. Yawning, she realized that she was so tired, that she had slept in her clothes. Sleepily, Relena went to take her morning shower. She let her clothes fall to the ground, and sighed as the warm water rolled down her head to her toes. After her shower, she quickly dressed in a light blue, casual dress, and ate breakfast. Her brother and sister-in-law were probably both at work by now. 

Sighing, Relena sat down, opened up her book, and began to read. Liam was at school, she knew that she had the house to herself for a while. After a while of reading her romance novel, Relena put it down. Too much in there reminded her of Heero. _Well, so does everything else_, She thought, raiding the fridge for a snack. 

By the time she had finished her book, Liam came bounding through the door. He wore a huge grin, and rocketed throughout the mansion. Relena smiled to herself, as she stood at the bottom of the stairs, stopping her nephew from running past her. 

"Hi Auntie Lena!" He said, jumping into the arms of a surprised Relena. 

"What makes you so happy?" Relena wanted to know. Liam was once again all grins.

"I saw Fey at school, and she said that her dad said that you can live forever!" The little boy said excitedly. 

"Oh really?" Relena asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Yeah! She told me that no matter what happens, this guy named God helps you out. He made the whole world and all of outer space too!" The little boy said. Relena smiled. 

"That's wonderful." She said, not really paying any attention to the boy's words. Seeing that his aunt wasn't paying any attention to him, the boy tried a different tactic. 

"He could bring Heero back if you asked." Relena turned around to look at the boy. 

"If you pray, this God guy will keep Heero safe. If he was truly meant to be he'll come back. He'll come back, I know he will!" The little boy said passionately. Tears filling her eyes, Relena hugged her nephew close. Liam was too little to know that Heero wasn't coming back. He didn't know what Heero was like. _He doesn't know that Heero's gone for good. _

"Fey also said that God can make you happy when you're not." Liam said, trying to cheer his aunt up. He hated to see her so sad. He liked it better when her sapphire blue eyes were sparkling with happiness better. She merely gave him that faraway smile that indicated that she was not listening to a single word he was saying. He decided to drop the subject. 

"Fey is coming over. Is that okay?" 

"Yes," Relena answered absently. 

She decided to read another book. She had this sudden craving to rid her mind of her own love problems by reading stories about the love problems of some made up character.

Relena sighed, and took a nap. How busy the following weeks were going to be. She knew that the moment Milliardo and Lucretzia came through the door, she would have to help. The house needed to be decorated, the food needed to be bought. Invitations needed to be sent out, and the house needed to be thoroughly cleaned before it was decorated. Band reservations needed to be made, and dresses for those who didn't have one needed to be purchased. 

As Relena had expected, she was right. She didn't mind helping at all, it was just…she was a bit tired was all. Nevertheless, Relena helped decorate the mansion. Even Fey helped. She insisted that it was only right since she was already there. Sarah, knowing that Duo would eat any food she bought, left it to Zechs to figure out who would buy it. Lucretzia ended up ordering the cake, making sure that Relena didn't know what kind. 

To Zechs had fallen the task of sending out the invitations. He followed the list his wife left him precisely, purposely skipping Heero. _He has no right to come to my sister's birthday. _He thought bitterly. When he was done, he put them in a neat pile on Relena's desk to send. Liam, who was asked to go and fetch some more streamers from his aunt's bed, chanced upon the lovely invitations.

__

Wow, he thought, _that's a lot of invitations. _He looked through them; the only people he recognized were the gundam pilots and their families. He was delighted to know that Fey was coming too. He looked at the list, and noticed that a name had been smeared with whiteout. Carefully, he scratched it off. The name _Heero_ stood there. Liam noted that his father's laptop was on the desk, and the template for the invitations was still up. 

"Liam, have you gotten them yet?" Relena called from downstairs. 

"Yeah, I'm coming!" He said. He took one last look at his father's laptop before closing the door and grinning to himself. 

"Finally!" Relena said. Liam blushed furiously.

"Sorry. I-um…thought you said they were on your desk." Fey raised an eyebrow. 

"You're lying Liam…I can _tell_." She whispered to him. He whispered back to her. She began to giggle. Relena, watching them, shook her head. 

"Liam, Fey, could you help me tape up the streamers in the living room? Remember to twist them before you tape them down!" Relena called from the kitchen. The children ran to the living room; both had a mischievous grins on their faces. 

  
~~~~

Sorry I haven't updated for so long! *looks at Sarah* Consider this chapter a happy birthday gift from me, kee day?? Anyhoo, if you like, please review! Also, please read my other works, especially _The Light Within Me_, cuz only ONE person reviewed it *bursts into tears* SARAH!! You said you wanted to read it! SO READ IT!! In case you want to know what else I'm working on…I'm working on a G Gundam fic focused on my fav char in the series G Gundam….** GEORGE DE SAND! **It's called _The Heart of the Rose_. Me also working on my first sci-fi original fic-Galaxy X. Ack, why are you wasting time reading this?! Go read something else!!

-Mela's Runya, the hyper, bright colors-wearing, crazy, romantic, God-fearing, bishonen-loving, LOTR-worshipping, otaku!

*note*

Thank you, and I go work on next chappy to TOMH now!! Byee!!


	7. A Birthday Wish

Chapter 7: A Birthday Wish

Hi again ppl! Mela's Runya here ^_^ Thanx for all of your reviews!! What was it that Liam whispered in Fey's ear? I suppose we'll find out in this chapter. It focuses mainly on how Relena's feelings for Heero all come rushing back, and she is unable to forget about him any longer. 

~~~~

Sarah-For the love of the Lord, CONTROL YOURSELF!

Destiny Star-Heh heh…isn't Liam such a clever boy? *grins* Yeah, the books are kinda…long. But I still luv it!

Micro Chick-Awww…thanx!

Shattered Sky-This chapter's to you! ^_^

Merci beaucoup to all of the rest of you who reviewed! Read on! 

~§ ~

Finally, it was time for the party. Important guests were just arriving, all of them dressed splendidly. Relena watched them all with a blank expression. Deep inside of her heart, she knew that she was searching for Heero. _How stupid of me. I know that he won't come_, She thought ruefully. 

"Relena, hurry up! The guests are arriving, and you need to greet them!" Milliardo called from downstairs. 

"Coming, Brother!" She called back. She slipped into her deep blue gown, and zipped it up. Upon her feet were blue satin slippers, and around her neck, she wore the necklace that Heero had given her so many years ago. _Though he is gone now, I can't help but continue to wear it_, She thought absently, as she put her hair up in two French braids on the side of her head. She was lazy to put it up nicely. 

When she descended the stairs, those that were there hushed. She entered the room, a blue vision of beauty. Her dangling sapphire earrings matched her eyes (and her dress) perfectly. She went to the center of the room, and smiled. 

"Welcome friends. Today is my 33rd birthday. I can't believe how old I've gotten!" She said, laughing slightly. 

"You may go ahead and eat. Afterwards, there will be dancing." A forced smile cam e to Relena's lips. _Where are the gundam pilots when you need them?_ She thought anxiously. As if on cue, all of them (save Duo, who was already there) burst through the door. 

"RELLY!" Sakura, Sahara, and Fey all cried, running towards her. She smiled, getting down on her knees. Sakura was wearing a pink dress, Tim was wearing green, and Sahara was wearing a beautiful golden dress, quietly standing to the side of Relena. Fey was in an adorable deep blue dress. 

"I'm glad that you're all here!" Relena whispered. Then, she smiled at the children's parents. 

"Glad you could make it!" She smiled, getting up. A sharp pain was felt in her heart, as she noticed that Heero was not with them. _You've given up on him, remember that_, a little voice said softly inside of Relena's mind. She pushed all thought out of the way, and put on another fake smile. Presents were heaped on a table nearby the food, where Sarah was attempting to restrain Duo from eating everything. 

"You know, it's a good thing that Fey's eating habits aren't like yours." Sarah commented. 

"Aww c'mon, honey. Look at all the good food!" Sarah grinned. 

"Sometimes, you make me feel like you're still sixteen, and I'm still fourteen. Remember when we first met?" Sarah asked, a dreamy look in her eyes. 

Relena watched the gundam pilots. The children were off playing in another room, as not to disturb the adults. Wufei and Sally were sitting at one of the tables, talking. Sally was smiling as Wufei whispered something (obviously romantic) in her ear. Sarah, who dressed in a dark blue dress, had her arms around Duo. Trowa and Hilde were laughing about something. Quatre, the ever-romantic one of the group, was dancing with Catherine. They were both very close to one another, and their eyes shone with love.

Ignoring it, Relena announced that it was time to eat cake. All to soon, Relena was opening gifts. She paid little attention to what was given to her, except when it was one of gundam pilots. Before she knew it, she was on the very last of the gifts. There was no tag on the small box, and it was wrapped in silver.

Upon opening it, Relena found only a simple piece of paper. On it was written:

"Good for one free phone call. What on earth?" Relena wondered. Just then, the phone rang.

"I'll get it, I guess…" Relena said, still a bit confused. 

"Hello?" She asked, fully aware that everyone was trying to listen. 

"You're life means nothing to the people." Relena could just stand there. She knew that voice. 

"Heero, wait-" There was a soft beep, and then Relena heard the dial tone. _Why…did you do that, Heero? You called on my birthday to tell me how worthless I am? _However, Relena would not let her night be spoiled. She continued to dance with the gundam pilots, play with their children, and chat with their wives. 

Soon, the guests began leaving, one by one. Finally, with much effort to drag the children away from Relena, the gundam pilots left too. Milliardo, his wife, and his son all helped Relena clean up, as did a couple of random servants that helped with the party. Relena couldn't think about anything but the call.

Heero's voice echoed in her mind. _You're life means nothing to the people…_When she was done cleaning, she retreated to her room. She was sweating, so she decided to go straight to bed. As she began to think about Heero, something inside of her snapped. Tears flooded her eyes, and she let out all of the sorrow she had been bottling up for seven years. 

__

WHY?! Why on my birthday, Heero?! Haven't you caused me enough pain? Haven't you broken my heart enough times? Suddenly, Relena was aware of just how dark her room was without the light. Heero's voice echoed in her mind again and again. _You're life means nothing to the people…_

"**STOP IT!**" Relena screamed, clutching her head. The voice only got louder, and faster. _You're life means nothing to the people…you're worthless Relena…_

"**LEAVE ME ALONE!**" The room began to spin, and Relena saw Heero's face. He was laughing, repeatedly saying that phrase. 

"**NO! STOP IT, HEERO! PLEASE!" **Relena clutched her head harder. Relena's room spun faster, and faster; Heero's hollow laughter echoed in Relena's mind. _You're worthless, Relena. _

__

In the darkness that surrounds me, 

Now there is no peace of mind. 

Your careless words undo me,

Leave the thought of us behind.

Heero's laughter echoed in Relena's mind. She clutched the blanket, and she began to get sweaty. Her breathing became ragged as she tried to rid herself of the image of Heero's evil, laughing face.

"I'm…worthless…" Relena said. _Yes, that's right Relena…you're worthless…nobody cares about you…nobody loves you. NOBODY…You're worthless, Relena. _Heero's voice said over and over in her mind. Relena reached a shaky hand towards her head.

"I-I'm worthless…" Her eyes went blank. The voice echoed in her mind, becoming softer, and softer. Suddenly, darkness enveloped Relena, and she fainted. 

~§ ~

The next morning, both Lucretzia and Milliardo woke up to an empty house. _That's odd…usually, Relena's up making breakfast by now. _Yawning, Lucretzia dressed, and went to Relena's room while Zechs took his morning shower. 

"Relena…wake up." Lucretzia said, gently shaking her sister-in-law. 

"I'm going to make you breakfast in bed because we didn't yesterday." She said, smiling. With a moan, Relena opened her eyes. 

"Heero! Noin, where's Heero?!" Relena asked, grabbing her sister-in-law's shirt. Relena hadn't called her 'Noin' in a long time; since the war was still going. 

"Relena…are you feeling alright?" She asked cautiously. 

Relena had a wild look in her eyes. Her hair was unkempt, and she had definitely _not_ heard anything that Lucretzia had just said. 

"Where's Heero?! I've got to stop him before he kills himself!" Relena screamed. Lucretzia ran from the room.

"Milliardo!" She cried, running to her husband, who was in a navy blue bathrobe. 

"What's wrong, dear?" He asked, gently placing a hand on each of her shoulders. 

"It's Relena! She's not herself! She keeps ranting on about saving Heero!" Lucretzia said. Milliardo pulled her closer to him.

"It's alright. I'll go see." Lucretzia instinctively followed her husband into Relena's bedroom. 

"Milliardo! You've got to stop Heero! He's going to kill himself! I've got to get to him before Mareimaia gets to him!" Relena screamed, grabbing her brother's bathrobe.

"Relena…Heero has been gone for seventeen years! HE'S NOT COMING BACK!" Zechs yelled, losing his normally calm composure. Relena quieted down, looking at her brother with tears in her eyes. Zechs promptly left the room. Relena's mentioning of Heero's name did not make him very happy. 

For the rest of the day, Zechs and Lucretzia went out together. Although Lucretzia was worried about Relena's health, her husband pointed out that she was calmly reading when they left, and actually said a proper goodbye, so that couldn't be the case. So, they decided to have some fun. 

"Liam is going to be at Duo's house today until seven. Could you make dinner for him? Otherwise, you've got the rest of the day to yourself." Relena smiled.

"You two go and have fun. I've got everything under control." Smiling, both of them left. 

Relena was fine for a while, reading one of her books. All of a sudden, the voice came back. 

"Must. Find. Heero…" She said, getting up. Relena opened the door, and reached for her key and locked it behind her. She began to walk. Her eyes went blank, and she just walked. 

__

Relena…you're worthless. What better place to die than the place that you found me? Heero's taunting voice said in her mind. Relena walked on, unaware of the frosty wind that was blowing. She kept on staring ahead, her eyes void of anything. They were blank, pupil-less, and kept on staring straight ahead. 

"Heero, I'm coming!" Relena cried. Her hair, which had been in a braid, came out as she ran. _That's right Relena; come to me…_ Heero said, smiling. Relena ran faster towards him. She ran towards him until, at last, she was enveloped in his embrace. 

"Heero, are you alright?" Relena asked. 

"Better than you'll be in a couple of seconds." Heero answered. The former Vice Foreign Minister realized that she was running out of air. 

"Nobody loves you Relena. You'll be alone for the rest of your life." Heero whispered. 

"Alone…forever…" A blank-eyed Relena repeated. 

"If life without me hurts so much, why not end it? Make the pain go away. Can't you feel the wonderful sensation of death?" Heero's voice whispered in her ear. 

She closed her eyes, looking at her own body, floating beneath the surface of the water. _How wonderful death is…_Relena thought blissfully. 

~§ ~

"That was a wonderful dinner, Milliardo." Lucretzia said, giggling. It had gotten quiet cold, so she was wrapped in her husband's long coat. He laughed as he tweaked her nose.

"Why your nose is so red, you could be Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer!" Zechs teased. The couple walked back to the car, and drove home. Lucretzia looked out the window at the pink and purple clouds. She looked out at the ocean. _It's so beautiful_. Suddenly, she noticed a figure on the beach.

"Milliardo, stop! It's Relena!" Lucretzia cried. Milliardo stopped, and sure enough, saw his sister walking straight into the frigid water. 

"Oh Lord! She's going to kill herself!" He opened the door, and ran towards his sister, Noin not far behind. Relena was already quite far from the beach, so Milliardo dove in after his sister. He dragged her pale, limp form to the beach. 

"She needs a doctor! We've got to get her home as quickly as possible!" The couple gently laid Relena in the back of the car, and sped home. 

"Sally, do you know what's wrong with her?" Lucretzia asked her friend anxiously. Sally smiled sadly. 

"She's got a severe case of pneumonia…" Sally began. 

"And…?" Lucretzia asked, pressing her to continue. 

"And she's lost her mind. I believe that Heero's absence has something to do with it." Sally said, looking at Relena's bed. The gundam pilots and their children were all crowded around her bed. 

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Lucretzia asked worriedly. Sally shook her head. 

"I'm afraid that though we may be able to cure her of the pneumonia, there's nothing we can do about state of mind. She may be delusional for the rest of her life."

~*~

****

AN: The song used in this chap was _No Ordinary Morning_ by Chicane. Hope you like! Next chap coming soon! PLEASE REVIEW!!


	8. The Dream

Chapter 8: The Dream

So basically what happened in the last chapter was: Relena has her birthday party, Heero doesn't come (go figure), and then, poor Relly ((hehe, my own nickname for her)) looses control, and goes insane. The part where she runs into Heero's arms is when she's hallucinating. She's actually walking into the ocean (for those of you who were confuzzled). So all her friends, their children, and her family worry about her health: her nephew Liam most of all. 

-Thanx so much LadySaturn, Micro Chick, Karana Kasshu, and blue fira onna! Your reviews make me soooo happy-full! 

-And to Sarah, (who is pretty much my best friend)-when your parents let you online again, tell me what you think kee day? 

-For those of you who were wondering, here are what the kids look like, bdays, etc:

Liam Peacecraft: 8 yrs old, purple hair, sapphire blue eyes (bday-Dec. 3rd)

Fey Maxwell: 4 yrs old, brown hair, blue-grey eyes (May 10th)

Sakura Chang: 4 yrs old, black hair, bright blue eyes (June 14th)

Sahara Winner: 3 yrs old, sandy blonde, dark green eyes. (April 19th)

Tim Barton: 3 & a half, black (er…whatever color Hilde's hair is), dark green eyes (Oct. 7th)

~~~~~~~

"Mom, when is Auntie Relena gonna be better?" Liam asked his mother, looking up at her with sad blue eyes. Lucretzia couldn't bear to look at them; they reminded her of Relena's smiling eyes. 

"Soon, sweetheart." She said, cupping her child's face in one hand. Then, she left her son, and began to tell her husband what Sally had just told her. Liam frowned. He could understand the language of grownups. It wasn't hard. 'Soon' meant that Relena may _never_ get well. 

"She's sleeping right now, but she'll occasionally cry out while she dreams." Sally said. Lucretzia began to cry.

"Oh, it's all my fault! I should've seen that she was hurting at the party. I knew that she wasn't happy!" Sally placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. 

"It will be alright, Lucretzia. It's not your fault." Zechs came out of his sister's room with an expression that could've made the walls melt. 

"You're right, Sally. It's not your fault, Lucretzia. It's HIS." His voice spat the last word out as if merely _referring_ to Heero was a poison. With that said, he turned and walked back to his own room. Lucretzia sighed.

"I guess I should go too. Thank you for your help, Sally." She said, forcing a smile. Sally also got up. It was time to get everyone out of the mansion to let Relena rest. 

"Heero…no…come back…" Relena cried out. The gundam pilots winced at the name. None of them had seen their friend since after the incident dealing with Mareimaia. 

"It's time to go, boys." Sally's gentle voice said softly. They all left, taking their children with them. Liam and Fey stayed behind. 

"Liam…what's wrong with Relly?" Fey asked her best friend. 

"She's gone crazy. I think it's 'cause of that person…Heero." He answered softly. 

"Will she be better soon?" 

"I don't know." Fey began to cry.

"I don't want Relly to be crazy! I want her to be normal again!" 

"She will be okay. I'm sure she will." Liam said, smiling. 

"Really?" Fey asked, lifting up her brown head up. Her blue-gray eyes met Liam's blue ones.

"Yup. I'm positive!" He said, smiling. "Let's go downstairs now." Fey smiled at her best friend, and they went downstairs together. 

"Come on, Fey. It's time to go." Sarah said, taking her daughter's hand. 

"Aww…alright, mommy." She said.

"Bye-bye, Liam. See you in school." The brunette said, waving. 

"Bye." Liam answered. His aunt was not well, and it made him sad.

"Liam, isn't it past your bedtime? It's nine forty-five." Zechs said sternly. 

"Can't I stay with Auntie Lena, Dad?" He asked. 

"Auntie Lena needs to rest now. _You_ need to go to bed." Lucretzia said, smiling at her son. 

"Ok Mom." 

~*~ Relena's Dream ~*~

"Relena…Relena…" A voice echoed throughout the forest. Relena spun around.

"Who's there?" She asked cautiously looking around. Seeing nothing, she and her dog, Mary continued walking. Suddenly, the big white dog broke from her leash and bolted. Grabbing her hat, Relena ran after her.

"Mary, wait!" She cried. When she finally caught up with the dog, she found herself in a meadow. She was about to drop down in the lush green grass, when she saw a figure already lying there. He was laughing, and looking towards the sky. 

"Hello, Relena." He said, smiling. Relena gasped. _Heero! Could it possibly be you, with that huge grin?_ Mary ran forward to glomp the chocolate haired pilot, and Relena did as well. In seconds, she was enveloped in his strong embrace. 

"It's been a long time, Relena." Heero said, smiling down at her. The sun was shining brightly overhead, and Heero decided to get a little playful. He tagged Relena, and ran, laughing. Relena chased after him, giggling when he tripped. Suddenly, black clouds covered the sun, and rain began to fall. Heero and Relena sought shelter in the branches of a tree. Lightning cracked.

"Relena, it's not safe for you up here when there's lightning." Heero said. He took Relena in his arms, and climbed all the way to the top. What he did then surprised the former Vice Foreign Minister: he jumped. Relena opened her eyes to find Heero laughing. 

"It's alright!" He said, pointing to his wings. Relena sighed in relief. Quickly they flew, until Heero found a shack in the middle of the thickly forested area. 

"That should do." He said. He landed, and gently set Relena on her feet. They were soaked by the time they got in. Relena got the fire going, and Heero made hot cocoa. 

Relena found a couple of blankets, and they curled up on the couch together. After fifteen minutes, Relena began to get sleepy. She tried to stay awake, but then she got a headache. 

"What's wrong, Relena? Are you tired?" Relena merely nodded. Heero smirked at the honey blonde next to him.

"Rest now, Relena. Rest…_forever_…" Relena's eyes closed, and she felt herself 

falling….

And falling….

And falling….

"You're **WORTHLESS** Relena!" Heero's voice echoed. She clutched her head.

****

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! DON'T START AGAIN! PLEASE!" She screamed. Heero's face became the background of the hole that she fell down. He was laughing insanely now. 

"Yes, Relena…I don't love you…Nobody does. NOBODY loves you, Relena! Ha ha ha!" 

"No! Heero! I-Please, don't! **GET OUT OF MY HEAD!**" She screamed. 

Relena felt a sharp pain. Heero smiled as he brought the blade to his lips and licked it. After that, Relena remembered nothing.

~*~ end Relena's dream ~*~

"**GET OUT OF MY HEAD!**" Relena screamed. Liam winced. He had decided to stay by his Aunt's side while she slept. He knew that the next morning, she would probably be hallucinating again. He sighed. _I don't like Auntie Lena this way. It scares me…maybe I should have sent that invitation…._Liam sighed. 

flashback mode

"Liam, what are you doing?" Milliardo questioned his son. 

"I-was just…looking at the people you invited to see if Fey is coming." He answered. His father smiled.

"Don't worry, she is. How could we forget Fey? She loves Relena so much…" The blonde haired older man ruffled his son's head. _Phew! That was close!_

"Why are still on my laptop?" 

"I was just getting off." Liam smiled, and got off his father's laptop. 

end flashback

Liam sighed, and lay on the bed next to Relena. He didn't want Relena to stay in the state of mind that she was in. He wanted his old aunt back. After staring at the ceiling for an hour, he fell asleep. 

~§ ~

The next morning when Relena woke up, the laughter in her mind had subsided, and she was back to normal again. Sally had called earlier to say that she may slip back into a fit of hallucinations at any given moment. They watched Relena closely, and saw that each day, she remembered more of what had happened before the hallucinations started. 

She didn't space out, and she was the same strong-willed person she had always been. Everything returned to normal at the Peacecraft residence. Little did Relena know, that her brother had sent Heero an angry letter telling him of what had happened to Relena while she was having one of her fits. Not that Heero responded.

"Auntie Lena, guess what?" Liam asked, zipping through the door, and running up to her for a hug. Relena laughed. 

"What is it, Liam?" _What are the consequences of what I've just asked?_ She thought to herself.

"Miss Tasha told us that Valentine's Day is two months from now!" Relena smiled, and ruffled her nephew's purple head. His sapphire eyes were shining. 

"Liam, did Miss Tasha tell you what happens on Valentine's Day?" The boy nodded his head violently. 

"You get cards and candy from your friends or people that love you." Relena smiled.

Liam was too young to understand that sometimes…love wasn't as beautiful as the fairy tales made children believe. Yes, it _could_ be beautiful, but what she had with Heero certainly wasn't…_beautiful._ It was painful. She shook her head. Now was not a good time to have a fit. Relena found that the harder she tried not to think of Heero the less likely a fit would occur.

"That's nice. I'm sure you're going to make lovely cards for Andy, Fey, and Ian." Relena said, listing off a couple of random friends Liam had. He nodded.

"Yep! I sure do! I'm going to make some right now!" With that, Relena's nephew darted off to go and make some by hand. His class held only sixteen children, so it wouldn't be hard. Relena sighed. How she dreaded Valentine's Day. _I don't want to be alone anymore_ She thought to herself. _I might as well get used to it. I'm _thirty-three._ I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life._


	9. Valentine's Vacation

Chapter 9: Valentine's Vacation

Thanx to all who reviewed! *Sniffle* I love you guyz sooo much!! In case you're wondering, this chapter starts off a few weeks before Valentine's Day. Oi…I know I'm rushing it. But this chapter is important, cuz it kinda leads to the next chapter which is EXTRA important!

Oh, and if you see Tivona missing in later chaps, it's cuz I brought her in a bit too early. She doesn't exist…yet. Kee day? Besides, she was hardly mentioned as it is. ^^() So. Did anyone notice that I skipped Christmas? *coff, Will describe Christmas later, coff* 

I'll just let you read the story now. 

  
~~~~~~~

Relena sighed as she got out of bed. It had been a long time since she'd had a mental fit, which was good. She smiled as she opened her window to let in some of the fresh, cool air. It helped wake her up. Quickly, she closed it so that too much cold air wouldn't rush in. _What a lovely day!_ She thought cheerfully. 

She couldn't stop herself from smiling the whole time she was in the shower. She even began singing "Amazing Grace." _I suppose I got it from Liam. He's been humming that song for a while now. _Liam had been going to church with Fey for about a month. Every Sunday when he came home, he jubilantly told his family of the events that had taken place.

Relena giggled. _Gosh, I'm happy today. I don't even know why. I don't even care why!_ Still smiling, Relena stepped out of the shower, and got dressed in a casual white T-shirt and blue jeans. Then, she went downstairs. She looked at the clock, a bit shocked. _It's only seven?! Hmm…earlier than I thought…oh well!_

She was a bit surprised to find Lucretzia and Milliardo already there. 

"Good morning!" She said cheerfully. "Did you have breakfast yet? I'd be happy to make you some!" Lucretzia looked at her husband, who shrugged.

"I was just about to, but go ahead." Relena donned a white apron, and hummed to herself as she cooked.

"You seem unusually cheerful today, Relena. Would you mind telling us why?" Zechs asked. His eyes never left the newspaper he was reading, and he would reach for his coffee cup every now and then. 

"I honestly don't know. Here, your eggs are done! Sunny-side up! Just like today!" Lucretzia sweatdropped. 

"Are you feeling well, Relena?" The honey blond grinned.

"I feel great, actually! Better than I've been in a long time! Oh! Here's _your_ breakfast, Lucretzia!" Relena plopped a perfect sunny-side up egg with toast onto a plate, and handed it to her sister-in-law. 

"Hope you like it! Oh! Is it already eight? Liam! It's time to wake up!" Relena called up to her nephew. 

Zechs couldn't help laughing. 

"What's so funny?" Both women wanted to know. 

"You looked very much like the stereotypical housewife with that apron, and calling up to Liam like that." They all laughed at this. 

"I'm not late am I?!" A very flustered Liam asked. Purple bangs hung in his eyes, and he was still in his pajamas. Relena giggled.

"Nope! Go take a shower. I want to see you properly assembled when you get down here!" Relena scolded gently. Liam sighed.

"You're just like Mom." He grumbled, going back upstairs to take a shower. His face only caused the women to giggle more.

Milliardo got out of his chair, neatly folding his newspaper, and putting his coffee cup in the sink. 

"Well, I'm off to work. See you, ladies!" He hugged Relena, and kissed Lucretzia on the cheek. 

"See you, dear! I made you lunch; I put it by the door!" Lucretzia called, her blue eyes sparkling. 

"Thank you, honey!" Milliardo called as he rushed out the door. Relena giggled.

"That was a bit _too_ much like the family gatherings on TV." She commented. The older, purple haired women nodded.

"Yes, it was. Well, I've got to get to work as well. Try not to scare anybody too much, ne Relena?" Lucretzia asked, grinning. 

"I'll _try_." Relena answered a grin of the same sort on her own face. With that, Lucretzia got up, and left. Soon, Liam was out of the shower, had eaten, and left as well. 

__

This is going to be such a lovely day! Relena thought to herself. _Where should I go first? I think I'll call Sarah. I don't think she's got work today. _So, the former Vice Foreign Minister went to the phone, and dialed the Maxwell's number. After a couple of rings, Hilde's face popped up on the screen. 

"Relena?! Whoa, you hardly ever use the comphone (AN: Dunno what it's called, so I'm gonna call it that, kee day?)! Is there something big I need to know about? Plus, you're unusually happy today." A smile spread across the woman's face. 

"Nope, I just felt like talking. Yes, I am rather happy! Anyway, did Fey tell you about V-day?" Relena asked, giggling. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Did she ever! For a moment, I thought that they had given her a gallon of sugar to eat!" 

"Is she going to make a card for Liam and her other friends?" Sarah nodded.

"Yeah, and it seems like she has special plans for a certain boy in her class." Sarah's eyes gleamed.

"Oh really? Any idea on who it is?" 

"I've got a hunch. But I'm not telling until I'm absolutely sure. Speaking of Valentine's, aren't you going to throw a huge V-day bash?" Sarah asked. 

"Uh…No, I actually wasn't. But knowing Lucretzia and Milliardo, _they_ probably will." Relena admitted, with a faraway look in her eyes. "I bet you that he won't come." 

"So…any idea on what you're going to wear?" Sarah asked, craftily dodging the comment that she knew was about Heero. 

"A red dress, most likely. I think I've grown out of pink." Sarah smiled. 

"I think I'll wear white. Maybe a simple dress. I don't want anything too fancy, but I _do_ want it to catch Duo's eye." Sarah said, laughing. Relena smiled. 

"Well, it was nice talking to you. I should probably go now. See you!" 

"Bye! Take care!" Sarah said. Then, her face disappeared from the screen. 

__

Relena…A soft voice in her mind whispered. 

"I should probably go out for some fresh air. I think I'll just go for a little stroll…" Relena told herself. So, she did. By the time she returned, it was only an hour before Liam came home from school. _I must admit, I'm a bit eager to know how Liam's first Valentine's celebration went._ She thought, smiling to herself. As if on cue, a hyper purple blur sped through the door, dropped its backpack, and darted into Relena's waiting arms. 

"HI AUNTIE LENA!" The purple blur-er Liam-said. 

"Have a good day?"

"YES! Igotcandythenigotsomecardsandeveryonelikedthecardsthatimade…"

"Whoa, there! Slow down!" Relena said, laughing. The boy took a deep breath, and proceeded in a slower, clearer fashion,

"I got candy, and then I got some cards, and everyone liked the cards that I made. I even got one from a secret admirer!" Relena seemed a bit shocked. _So young, and already he has a secret admirer!_

"Almost all of the boys got a card that was unsigned, but a few of the girls did too." 

"We're going to have a Valentine's party, right? Fey says she might know who my admirer is, and she wants to help me! I think it's her friend, Ally, 'cause she's always smiling at me when I look at her, and she kinda gets pink when I talk to her." Relena giggled. 

How ridiculous this sounded coming from an eight year old! Ah, young love—isn't it wonderful? Relena smiled. 

"Of course we're having a celebration. Fey, Sahara, Sakura and Tim are coming too! Doesn't that make you happy?" Liam nodded. 

"Oh boy! I havnen't seen Tim in a long time! Sahara is really nice, and,I don't think I like Sakura much. She can be bossy sometimes." 

Pretty soon Zechs and Lucretzia had come home from work, and told Relena that they had an idea. 

"So, what's this "idea" you have?" Relena questioned, plopping down on a soft couch in the living room. 

"Well, I was talking to the gundam pilots, and we all agreed that we need a vacation. So…we've all decided to go to the beach for Valentine's Day." Relena's older brother said. 

"The beach? Really? Where?" Relena asked excitedly. Lucretzia smiled.

"We were thinking Hawaii!" 

"YEA!" Liam and Relena exclaimed together. 

"Quatre is paying for this, as you probably already guessed. We're all going to rent houses that are right on the beach. How does that sound?"

Relena and Liam were equals for a moment. Both of their eyes were shining, and great big grins were on their faces. 

"That sounds wonderful! We didn't go anywhere for Christmas, so I think this is a well deserved vacation!" The honey bl0nd woman exclaimed. 

"We thought you'd like it. Plus, the other children are coming too, so Liam will be happy too. I want them to brag about this when they're in highschool!" Milliardo said, laughing. 

"Well, pack your bags! We're trying to leave the day after tomorrow, if at all possible. But, if you're ready by tomorrow, we'll go then. Quatre and Catherine are already there; they're just waiting for us. By the way, we're going to be staying there for two weeks." Lucretzia explained. 

A trip to Hawaii! Relena could hardly believe her luck! Beautiful beaches, lucious fruit, and the warm sunshine! It made Relena smile just thinking about it. In a couple of hours, she was going over what she had packed to see if she forgot anything. 

"Toothbrush…check. Two weeks of clothing…check. Toothpaste…check." By the time she was done, she found that Liam had already packed. Suspiciously, she checked his back. He had everything that he needed, and even things that she didn't think of. 

__

Wow, he's good. Relena thought to herself. _Well…it'll be good for me to get away for a while. Not to mention the children will love the beaches and warm climate!_

__

Relena fell asleep promptly after she was done packing. At five forty five a purple blur darted into her room, jumping on top of her. 

"WAKE UP AUNTIE LENA!" Liam cried loudly. Relena groaned. 

"Good heavens, WHAT have they been feeding you? I'm up, I'm up. Now go away. I need to change." Liam's aunt moaned after grumbling something about not wanting to wake up at such an ungodly hour. 

He ran off laughing, and decided to do the same to his parents. Relena smiled to herself as she locked her door and began to change._ Five…four…three…two…_

"**AHHH! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO; KILL ME LIAM?!**" Zech's voice boomed, followed by a scream from Lucretzia. Relena giggled to herself. _What fun we're going to have!_

Soon, everyone was loaded in the car, and off they went to the airport. Along the way, they met Duo and his family. 

"You going too? I guess we'll be in the same plane then!" Duo had said, grinning. 

"Hey! I got 52A, and Fey got 52C. What did you get Relena?" Sarah asked, showing the other woman her seat ticket. 

"I got 52B, and Liam got 52D." The group of seven got onto the plane, and took their seats. It turned out that Milliardo and Lucretzia were right behind Liam, so he could talk to his parents as well. 

__

Relena…

Relena blinked a couple of times. _No, it was just my imagination. _

"I'm tired; I'm going to take a nap." She announced after about an hour. Sarah nodded; she was getting sleepy too. They chidlren were already asleep, and by the time Relena woke up, they had reached their destination. 

"We're here, Relly!" Fey cried jubliantly. Relena shook her head of sleep, and stretched. 

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Relena said, looking out her window. 

"Isn't it? I heard that the place Quatre picked is even _more _beautiful!" Sarah said, smiling. The children were roused, and everyone got their baggage.

When they stepped out of the plane to look for people they knew, it was rather warm. It was perfect, actually. The sun was shining brighltly, and the sky was the color of a robin's egg.

"Relena! Milliardo! Over here!" A cheerful voice called. Relena turned to find Quatre and his family standing among the throng of people. 

"Quatre?" Relena asked, shading her eyes against the sun with a slender hand. A smile spread across the man's face. His skin was no longer pale like it had once been; it was perfectly tanned. It complemented his hair nicely. 

"Relena! I'm so glad you could make it!" Cat said, hugging her friend. She had also gotten tanned. Her hair was lighter in some places, indicating that she and Quatre had spent much time in the sun. 

"Well, I'm sure you're all tired. Red!" Cat called. Relena nearly fell over when she saw the redheaded youth appear.

"Yes m'am?" 

"Take our guests to the house, if you please." 

"Sure thing Mrs. Winner." Red said, flashing Relena a boyish grin. They all seated themselves in the limo. The seats were a professional beige color.

__

So that's_ where he went!_ Relena said to herself. After Relena had stepped down from her position as Vice Foreign Minister, she didn't really have any need of him, so he left. 

"So Red, how did you get hired by Quatre and Catherine?" Relena questioned on the ride home.

"Well, after you stepped down an' all, I went off lookin' for a job. It was your birthday party when I came back. I thought that maybe I shouldn't go anywhere, and just keep drivin' ya around. I was about to knock on your door when Mr. and Mrs. Winner opened it. They're really nice. They offered me the job on the spot. It's kinda nice here, ya know?" Red said, his eyes never once leaving the road in front of him. 

Soon, they arrived at the Winner's mansion. _I had no idea Quatre had a mansion in Hawaii!_ Relena thought to herself. She was in even more shock when she saw the mansion itself. There was a pool despite the fact that the beach was practically the Winner's back yard. The inside scared Relena even more. A long, winding grand staircase was off to the left, and a great chandelier hung, sending light sparkling across the room.

The stairs were carpeted in rich red velvet, and the railings looked as if they had recently been polished. "Follow me." Cat said, smiling. She was dressed in a light blue cotton dress, and Quatre was in a flowered shirt and shorts. The group followed their hostess up the staircase to find out what the rooms were like.

"I like giving people rooms that match them personally. I'll tell you why I chose each room." Catherine said, moving gracefully to the second room on the left. 

"This is the Sapphire Room." She announced. "Milliardo, you, Lucretzia, and Liam shall have this room, for it matches the trademark Peacecraft eyes." 

She moved on, giving Duo, Sarah, and Fey the fourth room on the right; the "Lover's Room" she had called it. Finally, she came to the end of the hallway.

"This is your room, Relena. This is the Princess Room. I think it suits you." Cat smiled, swinging the door open. Relena was too shocked to move for a moment. There was a smaller chandelier on the ceiling, and the room was decked in soft blue and white. There was a queen-sized bed in the center of the room.

It also had a balcony. Relena opened the double French doors, and stepped out onto the balcony. The ocean's water was right below her. 

"This house was built on a cliff that overlooks the ocean. It's level in the front, but since this room is the farthest, it's the only room that gives you a clear view of the ocean." Cat explained.

"Thank you. It's lovely." Relena said. 

"Dinner is at seven. Depending on how I feel, I'll either come up here myself, get Louise to fetch you, or just call you." Cat said, giggling.

That was when Relena noticed the phone. She smiled and thanked her friend again, and then she began moving in. _Yes, this is going to be a _wonderful_ Valentine's_! Relena said, looking out at the sparkling ocean below her. 

~*~

I know that this is very random, but Red is sixteen. I didn't expect him to be in the story much. I was planning on him disappearing and not reappearing 'til the sequel. *audience gasps* Oh? Didn't I tell you there was going to be a sequel? Tee hee. **Oh, and the balcony in Relena's room is supposed to be eight feet from the water. Kee day?**

*note* 

I changed Sakura's age to six. She is supposed to be somewhat close to Liam's age (eight) 'cause Wufei and Sally got married before the other gundam pilots did. Make sense? Sorry if I'm confuzzling ya. I'm confuzzling myself. 


	10. With You

Chapter 10: With You

Quite contradictory of the title, ne? Hehe, I know what you're thinking. Don't you DARE freak out 'til the whole chap has been read, kee day? Gosh, ya know what? You guyz luv me! (Heh, yeah rite) Plus, most of you are older than me too! I'm fourteen, and that's all that I'm saying. ^_^

Anyhoo…go read the story. This is just my ranting space. 

Quote of the day:

"Arrows? I fear no arrows. I'm a fangirl; I'm immortal!"

This chapter dedicated to: **Micro Chick**, **LadySaturn**, **Destiny Star**, **KnighteWolfe**, and all of my other lovely reviewers! You guyz rock! Thanx for all your support!

To Sarah:

Erm…sorry, not as much making out for you & Duo as I thought -_-() Sorry. 

~~~~~~~

"Ah, what a beautiful day. Duo, I feel like taking a swim. Want to come along?" Sarah asked as she woke up. She turned to her husband. He grinned.

"Of COURSE I'm coming! I don't think I'd want to miss the sight of you in a bathing suit!" Sarah swatted at the braided man, but giggled anyway. 

"Well, let's have breakfast. Just _try_ not to totally devour everything, okay dear?" Sarah pleaded.

"Oh fine. I'll _try_." Duo said, kissing her nose playfully. It was ten a.m., and apparently, Fey and Liam had been awake for two hours prior to their parents' awakenings. (AN: Okay, that sentences sounded odd). 

"Hey, wow! Everyone else is here!" Sarah said happily hugging everyone in the room. Sally and Wufei were a bit tired, as they had arrived at four a.m., and Trowa and his family arrived at twelve midnight. 

"Does anyone else feel like hitting the beach for a nice, relaxing day in the sun?" Duo asked above the chattering voices. The children cheered.

"I don't want to go. I'll stay." Liam announced.

"I stay too." Fey said. The grownups just rolled their eyes. Whatever Liam did, Fey did. 

"It's settled then. I'll watch Fey and Liam while you enjoy yourselves." Relena volunteered. 

"Okay, but whenever you want some sand and sun, don't hesitate to come right over!" Duo said, laughing.

"Duo! The beach is the Winner's backyard for crying out loud!" Sarah cried in frustration. "She can come whenever she wants!" Everyone got their bathing suits on, and went. Liam and Fey finally decided to go. The beach looked so inviting, they couldn't resist. Relena insisted that she wanted to stay and read, and that she would come later. She was about to sit down and read, when Liam came skidding through the door, Fey not far behind him.

"Sorry Auntie Lena! We forgot our pails!" He cried. That was all he said before they both disappeared upstairs. Liam quietly opened the door to his parent's room. He found the laptop already hooked up to the Internet, and on. _Daddy left his laptop on again_, Liam thought, sighing. 

"Liam, I don't get it! We _had_ pails right there!" Fey cried.

"Shh…Auntie Lena doesn't know that." He hissed, putting a finger to his lips. He found that his father had forgotten to log off, and was already online. There was a blank e-mail template already on the screen. 

Liam typed a couple of words, stumbling now and again. But for an eight-year-old, he was pretty good. 

"Grab that bucket over there," Liam said, pointing to a blue bucket on his pillow. While Fey got the bucket, Liam clicked _Send_. 

"Okay, let's go." Giggling, they left the room, hurried downstairs and back outside into the cool ocean water. 

Relena shook her head as the two zipped by. _I'm glad that everyone is having a good time_. She thought. She looked at the calendar. 

"Valentine's Day? I suppose my mind got a bit confused when Liam's class celebrated it early." She told herself. As soon as everyone came in, Quatre and Catherine called their friends into the enormous living room, turning on the chandelier. 

"Everyone, we have an announcement to make. Today is Valentine's Day. That means that tonight, we will be celebrating it by throwing a party. I hope you brought some red clothes, 'cause we're going to have fun!" Quatre said. 

While the children celebrated over the fact that there were to be many desserts, the adults planned on what they would contribute to this "Valentine's Day Feast". Duo and Sarah decided that they would bring brownies with hearts on them, Milliardo & Lucretzia said that they would make punch, and Relena volunteered to do the decorating. 

"Who wants to help me put up the pretty streamers?" Relena asked. All of the children jumped up. 

"WE DO!" They cried. Pretty soon, the living room was nicely decorated. Red, white, and pink streamers hung from the chandelier and curled across the ceiling. The children had fun twisting the streamers, and it also got a lot of work done. At around two thirty, they all had lunch. Relena could hardly believe it was still in the afternoon.

For two hours, the children helped Relena twist streamers and tape them down in order to make the mansion look beautiful. Quatre bought heart balloons, and let them float around the mansion. Catherine streamed heart-shaped confetti on the tables. When everyone was done with his or her job, they all smiled at their work.

Everything was in red, white, and pink and hearts were everywhere. The napkins and plates had hearts, the food had hearts, and everyone that was there was wearing one of the three traditional Valentine's colors. At around seven, guests began arriving. The children were tired from all of their decorating, and so they went to bed early. 

"Where's Relena? She's missing out on all the food!" Duo exclaimed. At that moment, Relena descended down the stairs. All eyes turned to her, and gasped. She was wearing a lovely white gown and white shoes to match. Sparkles adorned her face and her curled hair, which fell in perfect ringlets just past her shoulders. Instantly, every unmarried man in the room flocked to her, asking if she would like to dance. 

"Relena, it looks like you're a favorite dancing partner!" Catherine said, laughing as she and Quatre spun by. 

__

Relena…

"I-I need a breath of fresh air. I…I'll be out on the balcony in my room." Relena said. Catherine nodded, and Relena quickly ran up the stairs, opened the French doors, and stepped out. It was unusually cold out. _The voice…it's back_. Relena thought to herself.

"I've got to get rid of it," Relena said, putting a hand on the side of her head.

__

Relena…what's wrong? Were you expecting me? Didn't I tell you that you're worthless? The voice taunted her. 

"N..no! Leave me alone…" Relena gasped. _Remember how wonderful being so close to death felt? Don't you want to feel that again, Relena? Come to me…_Heero stretched his arms out, waiting for her. _Join me, Relena. Nobody cares about you! You're worthless! What a fool you were for loving me…now come to me…_

"**NO! I WON'T! GO AWAY!**" Relena cried, clutching her head. _Worthless!_ The word echoed in her head, over and over again. The honey blond grabbed the balcony railing for support. _Come on, Relena. Nobody can see you…nobody cares about you anyway. Come into my arms, Relena…_The voice beckoned. Pain exploded inside of her head.

Then the voice took over again. Blank, pupil-less eyes stared straight ahead. _You're worthless…join me, Relena…_The voice beckoned. She nodded, repeating every word. She hoisted herself up onto the balcony. _Come to me, Relena!_ Relena jumped. Again, she felt herself falling…

Falling…

Falling…

Falling…

Cold water enveloped her. Relena could feel herself falling under the water. It was deeper than she had thought it was. Suddenly, she felt something grab her. She gasped for air, and her eyes cleared.

"Are you alright?" Her rescuer asked with concern. 

"H…Heero?!" Relena asked, uncertain if she was dreaming. From the balcony, everyone was crowded around, looking down at them.

"H-how did you know I'd be here?" She asked. Heero shrugged.

"You didn't look well, so I followed you." Suddenly, she flung her arms around him, and began to cry, not really caring that he could see the tears.

"Do you know how much I suffered without you?" 

"Zechs sent me a letter informing me of your state of mind. I see you were trying to commit suicide. What would make you do such a thing?" Heero questioned. They were still in the water, but Heero had dragged her to more shallow water, so their feet could touch the bottom.

"It was you. When you called on my birthday and told me that my life doesn't matter to the people. WHY, HEERO?! Haven't I suffered enough?!" Relena cried. Heero lifted her chin with two fingers.

"Relena, look at me. My phone went dead before I got a chance to finish my sentence. I was _going _to say 'your life means nothing to the people, but everything to me'. I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this emotional stuff." The dark haired pilot apologized. Relena opened her mouth, but Heero silenced her with a finger.

"No, listen. I was blind to the truth for **SEVENTEEN** years. For seventeen years, I made myself believe that I didn't have a heart; therefore I couldn't love. I was wrong. _Very _wrong. What I'm trying to say, Relena is that it took me seventeen years to finally realize that…" He trailed off, and stared into her eyes. "…That I love you." He whispered the last part as if it were part of some sacred ritual.

Relena's eyes filled with tears. 

"Oh Heero!" She cried, throwing herself against his chest, and letting out all the tears. 

"Shh…" Heero said, holding her close, "I'm here now, it's alright." Then, Heero Yuy did the most unexpected thing that he had ever done in his life; he listened to his heart for once. He leaned down, and his lips met Relena's. Above them, the people watching cheered. Heero smiled at her.

"I'm sorry, Relena. I was such a fool. Did you get my Christmas present?" He asked, picking her up out of the water.

"Your Christmas present?" She asked, a bit baffled. Heero smiled down at her.

"I'll tell you about it later. Right now, I need to get you out of the water." Relena sighed, leaning her head against his chest. 

"Why did you come, Heero?" Relena asked, looking up into his eyes.

"I came because I received an email from your brother, believe it or not." Heero answered, smiling. Relena smiled back. _How good it is to see him smile!_ She thought happily. 

"My brother?!" She cried in disbelief. Then, a smile spread across her face. "No," she whispered, "it was someone else. My little guardian angel." Relena looked up at the balcony, and saw Liam smiling back at her. 

"Thank you, Liam." Relena mouthed, and whispered. Then, she fell asleep against Heero's warm body. Gently, he carried her inside.

~~~~~*~~~~~~

I did it! I uploaded TWO chapters in ONE week! Ha! I told you this chap was important! ^_^ Nope, it ain't over yet! There's _still_ more to come!!


	11. Together Forever

****

Chapter 11: Together Forever

Hiyas everyone! Thanx soooo much for reviewing! You guyz rock so much! I've been writing like mad, trying to make things happy. My family was so happy 'cause my mom finally got a job (my dad was laid off), but then the guy said that he didn't need her anymore. I was a bit down 'bout that. Oh well. I don't know why I'm telling you this, but even though my family is living off of non-existent money, I'm sure God will provide!

Your reviews have warmed my heart, and made me forget about the money troubles my family has been having. ^_^ Thank you. All of you. I just wanted to say that I love you all, and when we say grace at the table, I'm going to thank God for every single one of you. *eyes are full of tears* God bless and Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Mela's Runya

~~~~~~~~

When Relena awoke, she found that she and Heero had fallen asleep on the couch together. Heero's eyes opened when she moved.

"Are you awake?" He asked, knowing that she was. 

"Yes, but I don't want to move from this spot. I want to be in your arms forever." She whispered, looking up at him. Heero leaned down and kissed her, then got up. 

"You go get dressed and take a shower. Breakfast should be ready by the time you're done." Heero said. Relena dressed and showered, and when she and Heero went to the kitchen, the couple was met with expectant faces.

"I'm not saying a word until I've had my breakfast." Relena said, sitting down. After everyone had eaten, Heero called everyone into the living room. 

"I owe all of you, Relena especially, an explanation of where I've been for the past seventeen years." Heero said. "I was traveling. I wanted to see the world, and it was a way for me to run away from my problems. I spent the majority of my time in Japan and Italy. But it was in Italy that something that changed my life happened. A little girl ended up on my doorstep. She was around six years old, and a bruise was forming over her left eye. She told me that she was sorry for intruding, but she needed a place to stay while her parents were away. Her uncle was very abusive, and took out his anger on her. It was this little girl that taught me that you can't just keep running away from her problems." Heero paused for a moment. 

"She told me that she was going back home one night, and when I asked her why, she answered, 'Because I love my uncle, and I'm not going to run away from my problems.' It was then that I realized that I needed to stop running away, and I needed to tell Relena how I felt. Unfortunately, when I called on her birthday, my phone was cut off before I could finish my sentence. When Zechs sent me a letter telling me of Relena's condition, it only made me feel worse. It was my fault that Relena had tried to commit suicide, and I wasn't there to stop her. Then, I got an email from Zechs telling me to come to Hawaii, and so I did. It wasn't hard to track where the email came from, so I ended up here." Heero finished. 

Zechs just stared blankly at the chocolate haired pilot. 

"I never sent you an email." He said. Fey and Liam giggled. 

"Liam! Did you send Heero an email?" Lucretzia cried. 

"Yes." He mumbled. 

"Why did you, Liam?" Relena asked her nephew. He looked up at her with pitiful blue eyes.

"Because I love you." The boy answered. Such a simple answer, yet so deep and full of meaning. Relena's eyes welled up with tears.

"Come here Liam." She ordered. Meekly, the boy obeyed. 

"Thank you." Relena whispered, hugging her nephew close. He hugged her back with all of his strength. 

"I'm glad that you're happy now." Heero cleared his throat. 

"Relena, I think there's something that I need to ask you." Heero got down on one knee, and looked at Relena, love in his eyes.

"I've had this ring for four years. W-will you marry me, Relena?" He took a ring from his pocket, and opened the case so that she could see it. Tears fell from Relena's eyes.

"The answer always has been yes, and always will. Yes, Heero. I accept." Everyone in the room cried as Heero slipped the diamond ring on Relena's slender finger. Even Red was there. 

"Well, it's about time! I was wondering when you were going to pop the question, Heero!" Duo said, grinning. 

"I propose that we use what's left of the Valentine's party to celebrate the engagement of Heero and Relena!" Quatre said. Everyone agreed. 

~*~ Three months later ~*~

"Will you, Heero Yuy, have this woman to be your wife, to live together in a holy marriage?  
Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her_,_ in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?" The pastor asked. 

"I do." Heero answered, staring intently at Relena's veiled face. 

"And will you, Relena Peacecraft, have this man to be your husband, to live together in a holy marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?" Tears filled her eyes as she answered,

"I do." 

"Then you may kiss the bride." 

Cheers echoed throughout the church as Heero leaned down, connecting his lips with Relena's. Though Milliardo was a bit disappointed that his little sister had married Heero, he was proud of her. She had finally gotten what she had wanted all along, and she would finally be eternally happy. 

"Hey there, lovebirds. We're going to spend the night on the town, so you get the whole mansion to yourselves." Duo said, winking. 

"**DUO!**" Sarah cried in shock. "By the way, congratulations. How does it feel to finally be Mrs. Yuy?" Sarah asked. Relena smiled.

"This has all been like a dream. Thank you…all of you for coming." Relena said. 

"Your brother and I are both very proud of you, Relena." Lucretzia said, touching her sister-in-law's tearstained cheek. 

"I know. Heero and I are going to Italy for our honeymoon. We promise to tell you everything when we get back. We'll miss you." Relena said, hugging her brother's wife. 

"We'll miss you as well. Have a safe trip." Quatre put in, hugging Relena. 

"Have fun! See ya!" Sarah called as they walked down the aisle toward their limo. Before Relena stepped in, she turned around to face the crowd, a great big smile on her face. She then flung her bouquet in the air, and was surprised when it came to rest in Liam's hands. She had expected one of the girls to catch it. Relena sighed, leaning against her new husband. She and Heero were finally together. Heero and Relena Yuy, united forever, never to be parted again. 

~~~~~

Yep, 'tis over! But, there's still the sequel! Hehe, hope you liked! Relena was the star of this fic, and the starring role stays in the family, 'cause Liam Peacecraft is the main character in the sequel to Without You, _Return to Me_. Bye for now!

-Mela's Runya


	12. Epilogue

~~~~~~~~~~Epilogue~~~~~~~~~~~

Heero and Relena did have a safe trip to and from Italy. They told everyone what they had seen, and even brought back gifts for their friends. Duo was delighted to know that his gift was food. Heero and Relena had one child: Damon. They adopted Naeva, the sister of the little girl that taught Heero not to run away from his problems when her uncle killed her parents. She was 6 months old when she officially became a Yuy. Within the same month of Damon's birth, Tivona Barton became part of Trowa's family. She was adopted when she was three and a half. Sahara got a brother the same age, Xanto, whom Quatre and Catherine also adopted. Liam never figured out who sent him that Valentine, even with Fey's help. He finally gave up on it when he was twelve. The gundam children soon found that they were all going to the same high school. Red was in college by then. As they grew older, one thing became evident: the gundam children would stay friends forever. No matter what. 

~~~~~

I uploaded this as a separate chap to avoid confusion. 'Tis 12 AM, Saturday, November 29, 2002. Heh, not like you _asked_ for the date, I just wanted to let you know. I'll be going to bed after I type a few paragraphs of the sequel. I don't wanna miss my morning X-Men: Evolution and Yu-gi-oh! I have no idea why I am telling you this…I'll just…LEAVE now…

-Mela's Runya 


End file.
